


The World in Turmoil: Advent

by ANarrativeCloud



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dimension Travel, Gen, Starting Over, deaging
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-20
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2017-12-09 00:08:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/767687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ANarrativeCloud/pseuds/ANarrativeCloud
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edward could not believe his eyes. His limbs were back... and? He's back to being a five year old... Damn you, Truth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Traveled

**Chapter 1**

White. It was all he saw. Vast fields of only white. Which was up? Down? There were no floors, no ceilings… just  _white._ He turned around, facing an all too familiar object.  _The gate._ How many times has he been here? Two? No, three times. He chuckled bitterly. Why Beside it was an ethereal body with a foreboding aura.  _Truth._  It took his brother's body, his teacher's organs, Colonel Bastard's eyesight.. and two of his limbs… He was prepared to give up the thing that gave him grief made him grow up before the right time came… his alchemy.

"I want my brother back." He demanded.

"Oh, what do you have in return then?"

"This big thing right here." Edward pointed to the gate behind him.

"Are you sure? If you lose this then you would lose your ability to do alchemy."

"I'm sure." Truth grinned.

"I'm sorry Mis-ter Al-che-mist, but that isn't enough for our deal."

"What!? _"_

"Why? Well, if you lose it then it's like… running away. It's more of your gain than mine." Truth smirked.

"Well, what do you want from me then?"

"Your world. Your existence."

"I accept. Anything to help Al." Truth grinned widely.

"Oh and a bonus Mister Alchemist, I'll return your teacher's organs and your superior's sight. But remember, everything has a price."

"Now what?"

"I'm going to send you to another world. Somewhere where magic exists."

"What is this 'magic' you talk about?"

"You'll know."

The last thing he saw was the gate opening, the little black hands pulling him in.

==0==0==0==

Sacha was having the best day of her life. The kids in the orphanage had been very nice to her. They cleaned the orphanage when she was still just asleep, and when she woke up, the kids were bringing her breakfast! And when she was bargaining for a good price in the market, she was treated by some stranger! And lastly, she got the last piece of Humbleberry Pie from the bakery, which was the best and they made only fifteen pieces per day!  _It's a good thing I left the Wizarding world before I couldn't leave anymore, especially with You-know-who on the loose._

The woman was walking towards the orphanage when she saw a boy fall in the corner of her eye.  _It's just a boy._  She sighed in relief _But where did he come from..? I'd better treat him, he looks tired._

==0==0==0==

Everything was spinning. What had happened? Oh, he was _transported_ into a new  _world._  He tried standing up.

 _Wait._ He  _felt_ his _right arm_ and his  _left leg_ , what had happened? He looked for something that resembled a mirror. He saw a glass window. He could see himself. His automail wasn't there. There was his arm.  _Real flesh_ arm. What had happened? Why were his limbs back? Why was it there? And he looked like he was younger than he really was. The scars weren't there.  _I went back in time? Hmmm… Probable, not impossible… Where am I? Certainly not Drachma, not Risembool, not Central either… Where is this place?_ He then remembered his conversation with truth.  _Well then. That means I… can't go back anymore. But, at least… Al…_

He tried standing up, but failed miserably. He wobbled toward a wall to support himself.  _Why was it harder to walk on two flesh legs? It was supposed to be easier!_  After a few moments, he regained his balance. Having an automail for four years had its irks. And sometimes he was content to have automail instead of his flesh arm. Like the time when Ling poured a kettle of boiling water to his right arm.("Stupid Ling." Ed muttered) That would've burned!

He was hungry. Not just hungry, he was starving. He walked for a few hours,trying to find a place to rest. Maybe after he slept, he'd regain some of his energy. He went near the grass, contemplating on whether he would transmute it to bread or not. It might've been tasteless, but he'd have to stick with it. He clapped his hands and promptly blacked out.

==0==0==0==

He opened his eyes. It took him a while to regain his vision, and when he opened them, he saw a Light-brown colored ceiling. What happened? He was in a bed of some sort. There were old and rickety chairs, he was on a bed. He had bandages on his arm and on his cheek.  _A hospital? No... This place doesn't smell like anesthetic. It isn't Where…?_ There were some children around him. Children? Oh, he was just a child here too.

"Look! He's awake!" A little black haired girl shouted. It ringed in his ears. It reminded him of Winry.  _Winry._  He saddened at the thought.  _This is for Al!_  He reminded himself.  _Don't think about things like these!_

A little brunette boy ran to the door and shouted. "Mish Sacha! Mish Sacha! He'sh awake!"  _Sacha? Who…?_

==0==0==0==

Sacha was preparing the kid's dinner. There were just a total of fifteen kids in the orphanage; 6 pre-teens, 4 1-2 year olds and five troublemaking five year olds. It was just so much work! she had started cooking early, for if she started later then the cooking would be rushed, (which she wanted to avoid as much as possible). Her thoughts kept heading to the kid who just collapsed. His hair was golden. One which she hasn't seen before. Yes, she's seen blondes before, but that was an exception. Blondes were quite usual in the neighborhood, but golden hair was not. It existed in the fairy tales about nobles and fake 'magic' worlds. Gold strewn hair? Impossible.

A shout from upstairs informed her that the boy was already awake. She turned the stove off and removed her mittens. The she hurried upstairs.

"Oh, so you're awake already." She said with a smile. The boy was facing the window so there was no telling what the expression of the boy was.

"Um, where am I miss? I mean, country and all." He gazed outside the window, his hair rustled by the soft morning breeze. His voice was soft, like what Sacha used to comfort crying children… How did he learn to use that voice? Or maybe it was just how he really spoke…

"Country? You don't know where you are?" That was weird, how can the kid not know he was in London?

"We're in London right now. The Flower Top Orphanage." She smiled at the name. The orphanage didn't really have a name. The neighborhood kid's called it flower- top because the orphanage had a big sunflower on its roof. And the name kind of stuck. No one had any objections though, so it was put in as 'The Flower-Top Orphanage '

"Um… Thanks. And another question please? Then you can start asking your own."

"Sure!" She said brightly, but how did the kid know how she had questions? Okay, the kid is freaking her out now.

"Do you know what Amestris is?" The kid looked at her. Her breath hitched. His eyes were the color of  _molten gold_. She know that only werewolves had gold eyes, but not that kind. Werewolves had grayish-yellow eyes. His eyes were striking… and it held knowledge far beyond a child's… There was also sadness and pain… Only has she seen these eyes in Aurors that went through countless deaths… She gave herself a mental shake.  _This kid must have trauma or something…_

"Amestris? I've never heard of it. I'm sorry."

"Thanks…" the kid looked down once more.  _That means I'm not in my world anymore, huh?_

"Okay then! Now for mine!" She smiled. "Do you know how old you are?"

"No." Came the quick response. He couldn't exactly say he was sixteen. He wasn't even sure how old his body was.

"How can you not know your age?" She looked at him incredulously.

"I've never really paid any attention to it. Anyway miss, what year is it now?" It was true though. Even back in Amestris, he never celebrated his birthday. He'd only remember his birthday because Gracia would invite him to Elysia's birthday.(They'd 'celebrate' it on the same day.) It was saddening that Hughes… left. Gracia looked a lot more like his mother when Hohenheim left. And it was frustrating. But he couldn't do anything about it. He just made himself to look like he was having fun. He looked at himself in the mirror. Judging from his hair length and his  _height_. He still refuses to call himself short… He looked exactly the same on

"Um… 1995."

"1995 huh?" He made a quick mental calculation and found out that he was 80 years old. Then he just based it on his appearance. Nobody would believe him if he told otherwise. Amestris had a different time than here then? Or he was transported in time and dimension.

"Well, based on my  _birthday_ , I'm still 5 years old." He mused.

He became a very good liar and debater because of the meetings in the military. He also had full control over his emotions already, it was a must to keep a stony face while facing military ranks. But he prefers not to and still kind of shouts whenever he was called small. He reached the rank Colonel and was bombarded with paperwork. Then he knew the reason Mustang hated it so much. Mustang also proceeded in his rising.  _Too bad for him, the higher the rank the more paperwork_. He smirked at the thought. At least, _now_  he didn't have mountain loads of paperwork to deal with. He always divided his work with Al. Though at first he didn't want Al to do anything for him, but Al insisted and he could never say no to his little brother.

"5 years?"

"Yup. That seems right."

"Well then, you have a family right?" she sounded hopeful. He nearly snorted.

"No."  _But I have a little brother in another dimension._  He added word parents brought a weird taste to his mouth, Yes he had forgiven Hohenheim for leaving them. Yes, for his mother he had also moved on. But something still sends a pang in his heart to think about them.

"I'm… sorry." He just smiled at the apology.

"It's fine, Miss. You didn't know. You don't have to worry about me, I've already forgotten about them anyway." She looked forlornly at Edward. Oh how he hated being pitied.

"If you say so… Hey! How about you stay here? This is an orphanage after all. We're running low on cash right now, but we can make space for another friend!" He smirked at the mention of cash. He would do something about it.

"Thank you." He smiled once more. His stomach growled. He hadn't realized he was  _that_  humgry! He flushed.

"It seems your stomach wants food."

"Hehe… Sorry for the trouble." He rubbed the back of his had sheepishly.

"It's fine." She smiled as she led Edward downstairs.

The rest of the day was uneventful, save for the eventual questions what was his name, how old was he and the like. He didn't quite like the attention, but it wasn't very annoying.

He went to his room. It was small, but it was enough space for his…  _smaller_  body. He put a rug in the bottom of the door and closed the curtains, just to make sure no light would escape the room. He put the rusty spoon on the floor. Running a quick circle in mind, he placed his hand near the spoon. A bright light flashed and a completely silver spoon replaced it.  _That's good. At least Alchemy works here._

**Two weeks later…**

"Edward! You sure you're not coming?" Sacha bellowed.

"Yes, Sacha. I'm sure." The other kids were going to the zoo. Because for some reason, Sacha was given two dozens of free passes for said trip. He had seen animals before and he wasn't excited to do so. And for same said reason, he had the whole house to himself.  _I'd better start fixing stuff!_

After that, he surveyed the whole orphanage and saw that there were chairs with broken legs, leaking sinks, flickering bulbs, rusty silverware, and very old walls and ceilings. He had to do something about it.

First, he went to the kitchen. Almost everything was rusted. It was a miracle that the kids weren't having symptoms of sickness. Oxidation wasn't very friendly to children's stomachs. He then gathered every single silverware and utensils. Placed them on the floor. He thought for a while. What was the best material for such things? He never really paid any attention to those things, so he decided to use the alloy that Winry was fond of using. She said that it last longer than most alloys. And Edward didn't doubt that. His Automail after all had never once rusted. Destroyed  _completely,_ yes, but not rusted. A flash of light conquered the room. Afterwards, every single utensil was as good as new. He smiled at himself.

He then proceeded to fix every single thing he could while the others were gone. The chairs were broken. He could vouch for that. He once tried to sit on said chair and it collapsed on his weight. His downside hurt. He went to the benches. He tried to find out the best proportion for the bench, and he found that he was lacking materials. It was quite a good thing that they lived just on the edge of a seemingly 'haunted' forest as the other kids called it. The only problem was, how he could bring it without anyone noticing?

He ran to the forest completely irritated with himself. His endurance wasn't even enough for a short sprint! He'd have to start doing workouts. His muscles weren't toned, and he didn't have the muscle memory for fighting. Who knows what might happen with Truth governing the world?

He found a Mahogany Tree.  _Hmm, this thing shouldn't be able to grow here._  But he didn't question it. He used alchemy to transmute it to a box with wheels the leaves and little branches weren't given a second look. He then dragged it all the way to the orphanage. Nobody gave him a 'suspicious' stare. After all he was just a no name kid dragging an empty box. When he reached the orphanage, he was breathing quite hard. He then continued to make the benches sturdier. It didn't need paint. He made sure of that. After the benches, he also fixed the tables.

He touched the wall and it was brittle. He then completed a circle in his mind. He reinforced it with steel and more cement. Then he smoothened it.

He then went to the backyard. He sat on the edge of the backyard with a piece of the road in front of him. This was the last thing he was to do. He then placed his hands beside the piece of cement and after a blinding flash of light, the cement turned into a few bars of gold.  _The economy wouldn't be unstabilized if I do just a little right?_  He made sure to make the gold impure, not  _pure_ gold. That was the biggest mistake alchemists did when transmuting gold. It was also obvious (to specialists- which Edward was) that it was made Alchemically.Carrying the gold, he hurried to the kitchen table and placed said gold in a piece of cloth. He hurried to the study. It was nearly time they would come back from the trip. He didn't need any evidence pointing out that he fixed the orphanage. He opened the drawers and got a pen and paper.

Satisfied with his work, he stayed in the study and pulled out several maps. It would be nice if he could acquaint himself with this new world. He also saw a semi-interesting thick book. He opened it midway and found that that book wasn't for little kids. He dragged it to the center of the study.

The Book's title was…  _Hogwarts: A History._

==0==0==0==

Sacha was exhausted. The zoo was fun with the kids but they were so energetic and it was hard to keep an eye out for all of them. Edward could help in restraining the kids, she didn't know how he did it, but she sometimes relied on Edward to take care of the kids his age. It was a good thing they were about to go home. She was worried for Edward. The kid was peculiar sometimes… okay maybe a lot of times. The boy had read through the entire study within two weeks and he acted like it was just what he usually does. Such a very diligent kid! He was also talented.

They went down from the bus and went inside the house. The lights were already turned off and it was already dark. She ushered everyone to their rooms for them to get some rest. They hadn't eaten dinner yet so she would have to wake them up later. She went to the kitchen to prepare the food. But she was surprised to see that there was already food and an Edward still stirring the soup in a big pot.

"Edward!"

"Sacha. You're back already?" He grinned. He pulled out the big ladle and took a sip.

"Perfect." He murmured.

"You know how to cook?" She stared at him. This kid was talented! He read books at a pace even adults would be envious of. He could cook as well!

"Hehe… What do you think?"

Sacha grabbed a spoon and tasted the soup. She froze. It was wonderful. Perfect to say the least!

"I just grabbed the cookbook there, so I think it's a bit awful."

"Awful? This is delicious, Edward!" She almost jumped in excitement. "What else did you cook?"

As everyone was eating, Sacha could help but notice the changes in the kitchen and dining area. The pots and pans were as good as new and the tables and chairs looked like they were newly bought. Why, she even found a bag of gold in the kitchen table! The person who had given it to them had left a note.  _Thank you for taking care of the children. Take this as a donation for the orphanage. PS: Did you like your new Utensils and furniture?_  She was extremely thankful to the stranger who helped the orphanage. But the identity of the man was still unknown. But why had the man waited for them to be out of the house to act? Maybe Ed saw someone…

"Ed!" She called. Edward was eating his food and there was a little notebook and pen

"Huh?" His head moved toward the voice.

"Come here." He jumped off the bench and walked towards the caretaker.

"Did you see someone… that did some things to the orphanage?"

He shook his head as childishly as he could. "No one. But maybe I didn't see him because I was hunting rabbits in the forest…" he mumbled, perfecting his alibi of: 'maybe someone else was here'. This was nice.

"Oh…" She paused. "Wait. You went  _hunting_  for  _rabbits_?"

"Of course. Where did you think I got the meat? There wasn't any in the refrigerator." He said casually, running a hand through his hair.

"B-but! You're still just five!" She almost shouted. What was wrong with hunting?

" _Already_ five. I'm safe, and that's all there is to it. Besides, the rabbit hole was just near the orphanage. Nothing harmful there." He said trying to reign in his annoyance.

"Anyway, I'm still hungry so I'll fill my stomach till it bursts!" He grinned and scampered to his seat.

Edward smiled. The look on Sacha's face when she saw the gold… Hah! Priceless! But he didn't expect Sacha to nearly cry. He sighed… He missed Al…

==0==0==0==

He was about to sleep when a glimmer of something caught his eye. He stood up, went to the little table and his room. There it was.

His State Alchemist Watch.

**This is already edited. There was a deleted line somewhere and I have no idea where it went. And most of my other chapters have those stuff too. Missing line breaks are such a bother!**

**A/N: I'm going to let Edward be used to the world first before making him a student and well, we can't exactly avoid meetings with certain characters, oh and I won't do short jokes. It just wastes time and, well, for me it's not very funny, if I'm the one writing it. In the manga/anime it is, yes… but when you're just narrating it… well… But! No worries! He still gets angry at it, he doesn't just shout. It _is_ after all  _ingrained._**


	2. Creating, Bonding and Tours

**Chapter 2**

How did it get there? Something to remind me… about what I lost? Damn you Truth. But… I'm thankful… For giving me something to remind me… that I'm not from this world…

He opened the watch. The reminder of that day. He looked at the watch itself. And he saw Al… in a hospital room. He seemed… poignant… not the usual cheery Alphonse.  _Of course. To them, he died._  The 'General' entered the room.  _Heh, Mustang._ The pictures were heartbreaking… knowing that he left them. But it was reassuring that the deal with Truth worked. Izumi was there too. He couldn't hear what they were talking about. But…judging by the look on their faces… It was soemthing… sad... He wanted to cry out that he was alive… but at least… He would be able to see Al…

He gazed at the watch, watching his little brother…

But wait…  _Why?_  Why did… he give this to me? This is priceless… A mirror between the dimensions? He'd have to search this up tomorrow. He slid it into his pocket and stayed up all night wondering about the possibilities of the pocketwatch.

And he had a new objective: learning to lipread.

==0==0==0==

Edward wasn't one for school. His intellect was well beyond what people would call normal. Yes he had gone to school. When he was _five._  Yes. He was five right  _now_. But he didn't give a damn. He knew more than his teachers, they were extremely slow paced and Edward hated it. He often skipped classes to go to the village library and stay there until he knew classes were over. (Sacha scolded him for skipping, but he just tuned it out, completing several circles in his mind balancing them, adding complexities until Sacha noticed he wasn't listening.) The library had helped him a lot in coping with the advanced technology. Weird thing was, they were treating  _plastic_ prosthetic like they were extremely wonderful  _a gift for mankind_  they say.  _Psht, if Winry was here, she'd be happy to ramble on and on and on about how the automail works. These guys are idiots._  (If only he studied into it… He'd be filthy rich.) The motions were very limited unlike the automail Winry makes for him. He was both frustrated and amused that the people around him were complete idiots. They knew next to nothing about Chemistry. (This he found out was the closest to Alchemy in this world.) The molecular structure of everything came to him easily while even  _experts_  couldn't identify the material without touching the object! He could perform alchemy  _while_ dodging  _projectiles_  and they couldn't even properly  _add_. When he was their age he already knew the periodic table  _by heart_! It was frustrating!

Sacha had talked him into going to school, 'make friends' she says. Friends? Hell, he couldn't even  _find_  someone who could talk to him without spacing out or carrying the conversation to something very annoying. Like candies. Sodas.  _Cartoons._ No, seriously. He was the  _only_  kid in his class not interested in cartoons… So why the hell would a sixteen year old boy be interested in cartoons? Just imagining it made him shudder.

He avoided people, created circles in class (to look like he was taking down notes), practiced Xingese writings (people here called it Chinese) and tried using Alkahestry that Mei taught them (him and Al) before the battle with The Father, just in case their alchemy didn't work. He didn't exactly excel in it, they were after all only taught for 6 weeks. Said branch was very different from what he's used to. Everytime he was bored, he threw sharp objects to create the pentagram, then find the 'Vein of The Dragon' and run the equations in his mind. Alkahestry wasn't that different from Alchemy. It just required more guidance from the alchemist. People's reactions to it still made him laugh. (One was when he created a hole in the ground the size of an unnaturally large shoe, a lot of people trip at it. It was surprising, and he found it extremely amusing.)

His pocket watch was always with him and it wasn't working as a clock. He had convinced Sacha that he would go to the Clock shop to get it repaired. It was the only memento that was from Amestris. It also amplified the alchemical energy that he could use. Meaning, without the pocketwatch, Ed would tire more easily.

He glanced at the clock. From what he had observed, the clock only showed Al and the others if he thinks about that person when he opened the watch. The last time, he willed himself to look at Winry and snapped the pocketwatch then came blushing furiously afterwards… She was in the  _shower._ He'd have to have better timing… If Winry knew… The  _wrench_  would take revenge. Ha shuddered at the thought.

He took it to a clockwork shop and they were completely baffled by the technology. They had asked him whether or not it was his and he just glared at them. The glare was very intimidating for someone his apparent age. They had explained that it was very valuable and the clockwork was very antique. The shopkeeper tried to ask him where he bought it and then he snickered.

"Hm? This  _pure silver_ watch you ask? Maybe I passed a state" - _Alchemist Military-_  "exam and was given this as proof I did?" He said, knowing that they wouldn't take a kid seriously. The man laughed…

"Sure, kid. And you're the youngest?" The man said mockingly Edward smiled at the man.  _He had no idea._

The shop had changed the clockwork but Edward glared at them when they charged him 4 pounds for the pocket watch.

"Seriously, sir? The metal's all brittle and the hinges are loose. Even the battery's nearly dead. This won't even last a few weeks in my care!What a _swindler_." He shouted at the keeper.

"Haha, You have a good eye kid." The shop keeper was perplexed, How had the kid known he did a sloppy job? He was never caught! Okay so there was this one time… And this… And there was this time when…  _so what it happens a lot!?_  It was supposed to go: 'Mister! This is faulty! You can have it!'

Edward jumped to sit at the counter table then leveled a stare at the man. "Hn… Bet you would tell me it's no good then you'll end up buying it from me. 2 pounds.  _Fix it._ " He said with his 'Colonel' tone. He inwardly snickered at how the man visibly paled in front of a little kid. He would enjoy using this glare very much. Now he knew why Mustang loved manipulating people.

The man fixed his watch. When he returned it, it was as good as new.

"Thanks, old man!" he said as he walked away. The man sighed in relief.  _Can't believe I was outsmarted by a kid…_

==0==0==0==

On Edward's way back to the orphanage, he saw some weird looking people wearing weird clothes. Coats? No.  _Curtains? Probably._  What else could they be? Speaking of  _clothes_ …

Sacha gave Edward 10 pounds for his trip. Which he admitted was more than he needed, but he  _had_  been helping around, so Sacha probably gave him the money to thank him. He went to the fabric store and found some red cloth. He wouldn't wear it, of course, It was just something… in case… he got bloodied or something… Okay! He missed his coat. But he'd look silly wearing it with his body right now, so he decided to postpone it for later. He could always wear it anytime.

Edward wasn't sure on where to spend his money on. And he still wasn't used to the currency. He usually just based it on how much candies cost. But this country's economy was high so the little coins and the bigger coins were confusing. He didn't want to exactly research it; he figured it would come with time. (In the end, it took him a few weeks.)

He also knew he shouldn't purchase books available in large quantities; they would just be a burden to him and he could stack the knowledge in his brain. He wasn't a researcher at twelve for nothing. He had already caught up with the latest technology. Cell-phones, which were more convenient than walkie talkies the military sent out. And cars that were… very advanced compared to what they had back in Amestris. He scavenged the community library for books on Alchemy. And was disgusted that there wasn't a single proper book on alchemy.  _How could they have advanced technology but no alchemy? This is bordering ridiculous._ He thought with a long suffering sigh.

He looked rather intimidating. He was reading up on 'World History'(he wasn't very interested, but knowing what happened to this world would help him have topics of conversation) and had 'Advanced Chemistry', 'Robotics', 'Software Programming' on the pile on his right and piles of other books on his left. He had almost finished his last shelf in the library and the boredom was to come. He should ask Sacha where the next library was. He closed the last book in the library that was worth reading.

==0==0==0==

He was so bored that he even  _considered_ reading the children's books. He was frustrated and annoyed, so he started walking back home. He considered writing his supposed research but pushed away that thought.  _No. This place doesn't need alchemy._  He resigned himself to finding a worthy  _university…_  maybe start building rockets? That would be nice, except, no one would take him seriously with his apparent age. So, he was stuck doing nothing for several months. That bored him to the extremes.

Then an idea hit him. Maybe he could attend formal training in martial arts! He was still skinny, but due to his daily morning exercises and stretches, he seemed more toned. That would be a wonderful idea! I just have to do this! He grinned triumphantly. He went to the orphanage kitchen to ask Sacha about the classes.

"Sacha! Can I attend Martial arts classes?" Edward intoned.

"Martial arts, kid? You little runt?" Edward nearly burst into his usual tantrum. He breathed.  _I'm tall for my age! Well… apparent age._

"Yeah!" he said brightly. Truly excited to get training.

"Oh? Well, we don't have the funds, so you'll have to find a decent instructor that would charge for free." She said ruefully.

"So can I? I'm going to look for an instructor myself!" He asked once more.

"Just don't get yourself in trouble, you hear?" Sacha commanded with a chuckle..

"Yes, sir!" He offered a protocol salute.

==0==0==0==

His trainings daily were rigorous, but no one in the house knew he was even exercising. He would do a proper cool down and let his breathing slow before he left his room. He would wake up at 3am and start his workout routine. At 5, he ran around the orphanage, one additional lap weekly to build up his endurance. And he switched his routine of running around the orphanage to running around the neighborhood, memorizing streets, turns, junctions, so he wouldn't get lost. One said occasion, he wandered farther than he was supposed to. A street called…  _Little Whinging_. He still couldn't believe that he was in a different world. Yes he had accepted so, but he was still uneasy. Did Truth do as he said? But why just send me here? Magic? He scowled.

Then he noticed something. A big..  _walrus?_  Was beating up a kid way smaller than  _him_. He had to do something about that. He walked toward the bullies while the walrus picked the smaller one off the ground.

"Hey, big guy. You have fun bullying the poor kid?" He taunted. The bullied kid was relatively short.  _Smaller than him ._  The thought made his mood become lighter. The kid had glasses -ones that were nearly  _falling apart-_ covering his green eyes. Black hair was mushed, courtesy of the walrus.

"Heh. Little kid, you shoodent pick on meh. Yah might get hurt." Big walrus said as he dropped the kid. "Whatcha gunna do? Cry to yar mama?" Edward was trying not to send his fist flying. The walrus had guts.

"I'm sorry, but going to the  _police_  would be more appropriate." He said coolly. "And you fat ass will be sent flying if you don't." The walrus cracked his knuckles.  _Two could play that game._ He did as well, waay louder that the walrus'.

He placed himself in a stance his teacher drilled into him. Glaring daggers at the walrus.

"Bring it!" He declared.

"Heh, Dun come cryin to yah mama when you end up losing, punk!" Walrus said grinning widely  _Oh? You're the one who's gonna 'come cryin to yah mama' Idiot._

He knew he needed to hold back. The kid obviously doesn't have any training. He advanced, jumped and sent a punch to the big kid's face intentionally breaking the kid's nose.

"Why you!" The kid was obviously pissed off. He was holding his now bleeding nose. He launched at Edward with his full body, expecting to hit. Ed side stepped the attack and the fatso ended up crashing to the floor  _headfirst._  Edward was chuckling by now. The kid absolutely looked ridiculous!

The kid stood up. "You're gunna pay for this, punk!"  _Oh please, even Al could make a better taunt than that!_ Okay maybe he was knew Al wasn't like that…  _Al…_  He made a little dismissing glance and scurried away from Ed. Running with his tail between his legs.

"Umm… Thank you…" A little uncertain voice called. He turned. _Oh. I forgot about the kid…I should really pay more attention._

"No problem." Edward brushed him off.

"Umm…" The boy was certainly very shy. If Ed was going to spend time with him, he'd have to make this kid more confident.

"Oh, my name's Edward. Call me Ed."

"H-Harry." He said quietly. What was wrong with this kid? He sighed.

"Anyway, those cuts and bruises must sting. Come with me! I'll help you get cleaned up!" He offered the ki… Harry.

"But… I need to hurry back. My Aunt would punish me if they know I haven't cooked their lunch yet." He said sheepishly, adjusting his broken glasses.

"Heh, making children do the work for them, psh. You should treat those first. Who cares about that, if they're angry at you for not doing slave work, then let them. But how about you come with me to the orphanage first?"

"O-orphanage?" He asked owlishly.

"You're not going to stay there for good, you know. Besides, they have medical kits there." Ed said as he assisted Harry from his position on the floor.

"Uhm… Thanks…"  _This guy's not used to kindness eh?_ Edward scowled.  _What kind of human would make their nephew a live slave-like life? His Aunt, duh._

==0==0==0==

Edward guided Harry to the orphanage. Giving him support. He had taken a quick look over and found that the bullied had a dislocated ankle and several cuts and bruises all over his body.

"Sacha!" He called as he always did. No answer.  _Guess they're out._

"I'll bring you to the kitchen. The medical kit's there." He said reassuringly. Harry nodded quietly.

When they reached the kitchen, he let harry sir on a chair. He took out the medical kit and a piece of paper and a Sharpie marker. The cuts and bruises would stay for a while. He would use Alkahestry to close the cuts and makes the bruises less painful and colorful. He opened the kit with practiced ease and took out cottons and alcohol.

"Cover your eyes. This would  _look_  painful." He can't just let the kid know he had some strange power. The kid obeyed willingly and put his hand on his eyes.  _Good. That would shield the light enough,_

He quickly drew a pentagram on the paper and placed it underneath the low chair harry was sitting on, and activated it. Harry's cuts disappeared, and the bruises turned back to the skin's normal pallor.

"Feel better?" He asked.

"Uh… Yeah.. How did you…?" He asked.  _I adjusted your immune levels, made it react immediately to your injuries, then put it back to regain homeostasis._ Ed snickered. It would be fun to see how he would react but it would be bad in the long run.

"S'a secret." He smirked. "Would you want me to escort you home? You might be a little dazed."

"I'm fine." He adjusted his broken glasses once more. Edward frowned thoughtfully. A few seconds of silence passed. No one was talking nor moving

"Give me your glasses." He finally said.

"Umm… why?" Harry said a little startled.

"Hehe… You'll know. Just give it!" He said handing out his palm. Harry reluctantly gave his glasses to Edward. Edward went to the dining area, leaving Harry in the Kitchen.

"Eye-grade?" He shouted. Forgetting that he would change the glasses if it would be useable.

"Umm… It's.." Harry told Edward his Eye-grade.(A/n I have no idea what harry's eye-grade is .)

Edward ran to the study placed the glasses on the table. A flash of light, then it was repaired.

==0==0==0==

Edward escorted Harry to his house. When the door opened, he saw another walrus.  _Good grief! How many Walruses are in this town?_  He shook his head… He'd have to research a  _cure_  for this…

Edward gave them a very bright smile and told them that he'd like to be friends with Harry. They seemed incredulous at first, but when Edward told them he was the son of a very respected Chemist, they backed off, smiling . ("Social Climbers…" Ed grumbled. Harry looked at him confused.) Inviting him to dinner. Ed declined. Sacha would have his head if he just left without a note.

"Bye Harry! See you later!" Ed hollered, while jogging away. He grinned. _Being a pretend five year old is fun!_

==0==0==0==

_Reviews? Questions? Disclaimer etc are supposed to be…here? Okay then, I don't own FMA or HP ok? Good. People should know we writers don't own these said stories._

_Criticisms are appreciated. Be as blunt as you like. I won't take it negatively._


	3. Colleges and Libraries

Chapter 3

Edward was annoyed. The colleges were kind of low to not let him in. It was kind of annoying for them to laugh at him. Saying he was nothing but an airheaded brat. He's smarter than most of those idiots!

"You got some business here? Well, screw you. Anyone here might've let you in, but not on my watch brat."

They weren't friendly to him, well, he could accept that, because who would want to be outsmarted by a kid who is more than three times younger? Even Mustang had - albeit grudgingly - accepted the fact that Edward surpassed a lot of his fellow officers in terms of military capabilities. He was never really one to make his own image anyway. He went to the next known College in the neighborhood. Silently hoping that they wouldn't throw him out this time. He wanted to learn new things. The anatomy of the human body was something he knew a lot about. But it was only partial. He wanted to know more about the healing techniques to able to apply it in Alkahestry. Who knows? No one said this neighborhood was completely safe. He wanted to save lives. And the town library didn't have the right type of information for it. He needed to go somewhere with enough books. Like Central's library. Which, to his disdain, was only accessible to those who had a State Alchemist watch. It was one of the reasons he chose to join the military. Funding and Intel being two he mostly needed.

He shuttled to the building. Amused by the surprised looks everyone was giving him. "Kid! No running in the hallways!" one shouted. Some didn't even pay any heed to him like it happened every day. Maybe some of the teachers bring their children to school. He went to the lobby, taking quick directions from the floor plans. Right there, left… left once more then second on the left corridor. Then took off once more.

He stopped on the place where the library was. He stopped for a while. Then slowed his breathing. I shouldn't have ran… The he entered. He froze. The library was monstrous! Not as big as Central's… but still! He was so excited. He would read every single book in here. He walked slowly inhaling the scent of olden books, the scent of knowledge.

"Hey, kid." A raspy voice sounded from his right.

"Huh?" he said intelligently, looking at the source of the voice. It was from an old woman, late fifties. Graying hair and thin rimmed glasses. Probably the librarian.

"You do know you aren't allowed in here right?" she said. He was disappointed.

"Why the hell am I not allowed? Libraries are supposed to be open to the public." He grumbled. Low enough that was for the library.

"Heh, if you aren't from here, kid, you need a letter from either a teacher or the supervisor to let you use this place. They would be kind enough to do that and the letter would last till the paper disintegrates." The librarian said humorously. "Though I have no idea what reading material you might want to read here since all of these books tackle subjects even the seniors can't understand."

"Thank you miss." He bowed respectfully. It wouldn't be a good idea to get on the bad side of someone who I might see everyday… He then ran to the lobby once more. Memorizing the map. Teacher's lounge… lounge… There it is! Room 112. He decided not to rush. It was still early. He walked casually, his sense of direction was something he took pride in. He seldom got lost, but it was more of luck – so to say the lack of it – that he did. After a few minutes, he spotted the teacher's lounge. He knocked once. No answer. He knocked again. Still none. So he decided to see if it was unlocked or not. To his surprise it wasn't. He entered and saw no one. Huh… Now how am I supposed to get that f***ing slip? He looked around, looking for something that would resemble a human being.

No such luck. He sighed. What was he to do when everything he planned lacked resources or people to contact? It annoyed him to no end. He turned to leave when something caught his eye. It was a chalkboard with several problems and their corresponding answers. But something felt wrong. He read through the problems and their supposed answers, nothing was right! It was maddening how the people in this world couldn't solve such simple problems. Who the hell answered this? He took the eraser and started erasing the 'answers'. Then he started solving them just for the heck of it. He knew he didn't have any benefits in doing so, but figured it was enough to ease his boredom. He liked thinking critically. Borrow 1… sigma…psi7 multiplied by… all over…

He wrote the answers on the board with frightening speed, erasing and rewriting things here and there, double checking everything if they were right or wrong. After several long minutes, he wiped his brow and admired his work. That's better. Though,my mind finished it earlier... He left the room, his boredom sated, and fished out his pocketwatch.

He didn't notice the teacher who had seen everything he did.

==0==0==0==


	4. Tests, Doubles and More Library Troubles

**Chapter 4**

Ed shuffled in his seat. He took one of the isolated tables to eat in peace. He got hungry and went to the cafeteria to buy something without milk in it. He ordered two cups of rice, three steak strips, a corn salad, several lettuce leafs, Caesar dressing, and orange juice. The cafeteria lady looked at him fondly. Most of the kids never ordered vegetables, but Ed wanted to have a balanced diet. He burns more calories than the average five-year old so he needed to eat more. Exercising needed a lot of proteins and vitamins. He finished his rice as he ravenously divided the food into mouthfuls. He was about to gobble a lettuce leaf when a voice called out to him.

"Hello little kid."A man no older than…wait…

"H-Havoc?" He gaped.  _Why was he here? Oh… okay… double. Relax Ed. He isn't Lt. Havoc._

"Oh? You know my name? I must be famous!" Edward choked on air. Trying to suppress his laughter. He really acted like the Havoc he knew.

"But at least, call me Professor Havoc. I worked hard for it!" He smiled brightly.

Edward chuckled. But sadly, he wasn't the same Havoc he knew. He had long since figured out that most of the People from Amestris had their doubles here. And while having familiar face around was comforting, they didn't hold the same sadness and knowledge as the ones from Amestris.

"Okay then,  _Professor_ Havoc. What can my humble self do to be of service?" Edward said, smiling politely. Using the tone Col- _General_ used when talking to people who piss him off.

"Man! You sound like Roy!" He chuckled, Patting Edward a little too hard for his comfort. "I already like you, kid."  _Mustang has a double?_  He sighed. It would be hard to call him 'Roy' instead of 'Bastard' or 'Colonel'.

"I am not a kid!" Oh How he sounded like one.

"Sure you aren't. Anyway, I saw what you did in the lounge." He said, his eyes trailing dangerously, dropping his bright and carefree demeanor. Now this seemed more like Havoc when he was assigned to interrogate someone. It was a good thing that Edward was already immune to it. He'd been interrogated by Havoc one too many times already.

 _Lounge?_  Hmmm… "That problem?" He asked, to make sure. It was a simple problem most alchemist could solve easily. It had a painstakingly long procedure, but other than that, it was really simple. You just need to learn the fundamentals and how to apply them. Simple as pie.

"Yeah. How long have you been learning, kid?"

"Since the day I could read." Ed said casually.

"How old are you?"

"You should be able to guess, you know. Being a Doctor and all."

"Haha, you're right. But I just want to make sure. You could be a ten year old for all I care."

"Do I look like ten to you?" He stopped himself. "I'm sixte- five!" _Ed! You are five years old!_

"FIVE!?" Havoc exclaimed, unbelieving. That earned a few stares from the people around them.

Edward laughed heartily.  _If only you knew._

"You don't believe me, do you?" Edward gave him a second to regain his composure.

"Y-you're serious?"

"I don't joke." Edward said seriously. Breaking the tense atmosphere by gobbling his lettuce, then munching on his carrots.

"You… you…"Havoc didn't seem to be able to make up his mind. "Come with me." He dragged Edward by the collar.

Edward glared. "You! I haven't finished my food yet!" Ed shouted angrily.

"Finish it later!" Havoc said with a smile.

"If I don't finish it, you're going to treat me to a restaurant of my choice!"

"Fine! Just come with me, brat." Havoc said, unaware of the danger that was coming to his precious wallet.

==0==0==0==

"So… What am I supposed to do again?" Edward asked uncertainly. Glancing at the papers in front of him. The was a single sheet on top of a folder. The sheet had circles aligned in four a row. With the first four English Letters labeling each. It was obviously a test answer sheet and questionnaire.

"Answer these test questions." Havoc commanded. Ed sighed. If he was still back in Amestris, he could pull rank to avoid this… Sadly, he wasn't a Colonel here…

"Alright. No time limit?" He caved.

"Just make sure you finish it." Ed blinked. Of  _course_ he would.

He browsed through the folders and found that it contained at least 200 questions. He opened it to the first page and started shading. Havoc was watching him intently. He finished in about an hour and Havoc silently took the answer sheet with a contemplating look on his face.

He took out a paper which had holes in it.  _Probably the template._

He took his time checking, and Ed was getting bored. He sighed and opened his pocketwatch, thinking about Al. He was still learning how to lipread but he could make out most words already. It would come. Al's mannerisms were familiar but it would at least take a few more months till he would become proficient in the practice. But he was patient. And thankful that he was given such a gift. He was a little annoyed that he had to spend his precious time waiting. He should've brought his Research journal! Well at least _then_ he'd have something productive to do.

A shuffling of papers alerted Ed that Havoc had finished checking his work. He snickered at the disbelieving face Havoc made.

"Y-you're… serious?" Havoc muttered. "I nearly  _failed_  this exam… scraping 50%... And I'm a  _professor_."

"Aww… Don't worry, Havoc. I won't tell anyone…" Ed chided. It would be amusing to be a college student at five.

"Kid! You're called a genius aren't you?"He said obviously still in shock.

"They call me a prodigy, but I don't get it. My friends and brother calls me stupid all the time…" he said obliviously, snickering at the fish-eyed face Havoc had.

"I'll vouch for you." Edward paused.

"Vouch?" Ed asked confusedly "Anyway, I only want to have access to your college's library. I've finished the city library, well except for the children's books, but I still want to learn about healing techniques and pressure points and stuff…"

"Yes, yes." Havoc drew a yellow slip of paper from under his desk and signed it with a grace the other Havoc never bothered to have.

"Here, your library slip. Laminate it so it doesn't get wet. I'd hate to sign another one of those." Ed smiled widely  _Finally! Library, here I come!_

"Oh, and by the way, I want to eat at L'Renioulle's for dinner." Havoc paled.

==0==0==0==

Havoc wasn't having a very wonderful day. Firstly, he got dumped by another girl. Secondly, most of his students were incompetent. Lastly, He lost a bet to Mustang. He tried to woo another girl, but he didn't have any luck. He was a Professor in the Technological Institute Majoring in Communication networks.

It took him several years to achieve status, but all his hardwork paid off! Now, he had a house to himself, a car and most importantly, a degree! But he still had a long way to go. A lot of the things he did still didn't make sense.  _It would come with time._ He thought. He entered the teacher's lounge and found a kid writing on the chalkboard. He smiled. Maybe the kid thought it nice to draw. But when he looked closer, his eyes bugged out. The kid was solving a problem his co-worker had spent  _days_  to understand. He watched in rapt fascination. He would love to have the kid as his student!

A few minutes into the problem, the kid paused and rechecked his work. The kid beamed and put down his chalk and eraser. The handwriting was surprisingly legible and the lines were immaculately straight. Did the kid practice this? He looked over the problem and found that  _he_  had a hard time understanding the theorems and the solution. Who was that kid? He tried to remember the kid's features, but he only saw the back of his head. And remembered that the kid was blonde.  _Who said blondes were dumb?_  He truly wanted to protest about that stereotyping, but resisted. It wouldn't do good to make society your enemy.

He searched the canteen for the kid and he was greeted a lot. Who knew he was so popular? His eyes darted from blonde to blonde, searching for the kid.

"Jean!" a voice called.

"Oh. Marge, hello." He said distractedly.

"Oh. You're like that now? Ignoring me?"

"Oh! Of course not! It's just… I'm looking for someone." He said, shifting his attention to his friend.

"I can probably help. But you have to do something for me first!"

"No thanks. The last time you asked me to do something, I was completely humiliated. Noo way.." Havoc raised his arms in front of his head.

"Aww… You're no fun! Anyway," a cough. "what do you say about quitting smoking? You're a professor now. You should be more concentrated on your health!"

"Maybe next time." Havoc lighted a cigarette and puffed out smoke.

"Do not smoke in the cafeteria! This is a non smoking area." Marge said, hitting the backside of Havoc's head. The cigarette fell on the floor, becoming unusable. Havoc whimpered muttering something like 'My cigarette!'

"Okaayy… I get it! Stop Hitting me!"

After an exchange of a few more pleasantries, Havoc asked Marge to help him look for the little blonde kid.

"You know, you're really blind." Marge said with a chuckle.

"What do you mean?" Havoc asked, his hands in his pocket.

"He's right behind us you know." Havoc smiled sheepishly.

"Oops… Thanks for the help." He patted Marge's

He went near the kid, leaving an exasperated Marge behind.

He liked the kid. He was witty and has a larger vocabulary than any five year old he'd encountered. He reminded him of one of his friends. He didn't know what got into him, but he dragged the kid out, promising to treat him to a restaurant. He agreed for no specific reason. Kids usually had cheap tastes, so he didn't really worry about having holes in his wallet.

He gave a questionnaire for thied year college students to the little kid, just to test how wide his reading material spread out. There were some history questions, chemistry, physics, trigonometry, and some and other miscellaneous questions that didn't mean anything. Havoc was hit by the miscellaneous questions hard. He wasn't a very wide reader, just skimming on the parts that didn't involve his profession. And it was not fun.

Edward was answering the question fast. Real fast. He was given at least three hours for the examinations and Edward finished within an  _hour_. It was unbelievable. He should expect more surprising stuff later.

After checking the paper. His reaction was: What. The. Hell!? The kid answered almost everything correctly. Missing some miscellaneous questions, that revolved around music. It was a little degrading. Being beaten by a five-ear old wouldn't go well for his popularity...

And it turns out, the kid just wanted a library pass! Good grief. And now the kid wanted  _him_ to eat at L'Renoiulle's. The expensive French restaurant downtown. He thought the kid wouls ask McDonalds or something… Gah. Oh how he hated his life.

==0==0==0==

Edward was walking with an extra bounce in his steps. He was so happy he could finally enter the library! Hah! Take that, stupid University! He entered the library and jumped up to the librarian's counter.

"Here." He presented the laminated pass to the librarian. The librarian barely gave him a glance as she took the card and stamped a hot plate on it. The plastic had become embedded with the university logo. The librarian returned it to him and continued doing writing on whatever it was.

He stopped for a while, inhaling the scent of the library. The smell of knowledge, old books and newly printed ones. He was excited! He went near the nearest bookshelf and picked out the book on the lowest divide. He sa down on the floor and started reading.

He didn't know how much time passed, nor did he remember how many books he had read, but it was enlightening. He would finish this shelf in a week or so if his plans weren't destroyed by anyone or anything and he was satisfied.

==0==0==0==

It was already dark outside and Sacha was getting worried. Normally, Edward would be home by six and it was already nearly Seven! She paced,  _What if Edward got kidnapped?_  She didn't want to admit it, but she didn't want to go outside the orphanage at night. She had one too many unpleasant experiences as a wizard. She went to the study, hoping that Edward was there, reading a newly purchased book or something. Sadly, her hopes were crushed. Ed wasn't there. She checked his room and still… She felt something tugging at the bottom of her skirt.

"Miss Sacha?" A little voice called. It was Lin. One of the 5 year olds.

"Oh, what is it dear?" Shesat down, petting Lin's head.

"Ed told me, tell you that he go in the University." She said quietly. "Library, he says."

Sacha facepalmed. Of course! Ed and hi libraries…

"Thanks for telling me." Lin nodded and scurried off to bed.

Sacha sighed. Why did she volunteer for this again?

==0==0==0==

_New chapter! Yay! How I love reviews. The internet connection at home sucks.I didn't have anything to do, so voila!_


	5. Time Skips and Magic

 

**A/N As you can see, I'm getting very impatient with the story development, so I'm going to have a six-year timeskip. My internet access is limited right now and I have nothing better to do than write. And of course, I finished this more than two weeks ago, but I kinda passed the notebook I summarized the chapter for something on school, and I didn't want to change it, so I waited... I'm going to explain what happened in those six years as flashbacks and/or a short explanation. :)**

Enjoy!

==0==0==0==  
Chapter Five

Edward wasn't having a hard time in adjusting to his new life. The past few years had been fun. At eight, he became a respected chemist. At ten, he was on his way to having his own laboratory.(He got sponsored big time, even though his lab was improperly equipped, it wasn't such a big deal if you had alchemy) He had been debating whether or not he would become a teacher in college(There had been some problems with the Dean regarding his age, but with Alter!Mustang's blackma-err... persuasion, the Dean accepted). Amusingly, no one even tried to spite him because he was young _, too young_  in fact.

His first year was incredibly amusing. People kept thinking he was lost and always guided him to the gate exit. He would humor them and when they reached the exit, he would thank them. Then he shows up at the classroom. As their  _professor_. It was fun to see them gawking at him.

Edward's first classes tended not to be taken seriously. Maybe because they thought that since a little kid could get it, meant that they could easily do it. What they didn't know was that Edward was a genius and a merciless slave driver. He seldom finishes a class without having each and every single one of his students understand the concepts and principles he had discussed. He doesn't let the students out of the classroom if they do not understand. He always makes sure that the details had been drilled into his pupil's brains. Edward always sent out essays, mostly having the students review and measure the information they processed in the lecture. Edward was dubbed 'The Little Terror' and he snapped at the unfortunate students who happened to be talking in the immediate area, glaring at them murderously. (He hissed "I'm. Not.  _Short._ " The next day, he sped up the lecture as at a pace he knew only he -and a few others- could keep up with. He openly showed how pissed off he was. Since then the students never mentioned his lack of height, and Edward was glad for it.)  
He was well known in the campus, but he barely gave his supposed fame any attention. But he found that seeing people older than him know less than he did quite amusing and frustrating. He knew he was considered a genius but seeing people so  _incompetent_... Well, sure, the professors were competent, but it was rare for anyone else to excel. His head got a little bloated at that, but he hid it well, only Al would notice it. Only his inner Al kept his head from bursting. Edward could never say no to his little brother.

The meeting with the Military counterparts was sad and sentimental. Mustang was the same egotistic, elitist bastard he remembered. Mustang did not know him... and it was a little saddening. They were the same, picking on his small stature every chance he got. The moment he saw Hughes, he nearly cried. Ed didn't even remember what his voice sounded like... Hughes died way too early in the war with the Homunculus and Edward missed him. He didn't even complain when Hughes kept bragging about Gracia, his beloved Girlfriend. In fact, he even smiled, acknowledged and pushed Hughes on. They would make a good match, and Ed just wanted Elysia to exist already. Everyone looked at him as if he'd grown another head, but dismissed it as childish curiosity.

He chuckled bitterly. The emotional scars everyone sustained in Amestris was considerably heavier. It was inevitable though. These people were never sent to the Ishbal war front lines. They have never taken a life before... As for Edward though... He'd witnessed war. It was despicable. Once or twice, he didn't want to remember, he was forced to kill. He didn't know how to react to his first kill. He didn't know how to cope with it and his brain refused to function properly. He got over it when Mustang nearly literally charred him to understand that what happened, happened. Nothing could do anything about it. Sometimes the bastard wasn't such a bastard. But he was still annoying.

When he found friends in the military's doubles, he moved out of the orphanage and stayed at the college dorms. Hughes had called it a scholarship but Ed doubted that it was one. He visited Sacha once every few weeks. The orphanage had grown on him. And he was grateful.

Right now, Edward was in his laboratory, researching for the best solution for a cheap and manageable superconductor. He had the fundamental characteristics down and the base metals were already chosen. There was just a little problem about the ratio of the trace metals that would make up the superconductor. It needed to have the right malleability, and shouldn't be too soft. It was his latest project. And with no immediate goals, he just went through life to enjoy it. He knew that alchemy couldn't send him back. Truth was just a bastard like that. He tried to last a month without researching or doing anything scientific. And it seemed that he could not. He got frustrated. And it was his decision to do something that might benefit this world. His world. This was his world now. Unless some higher being decide to send him back; highly unlikely.

He had finalized the base metal when he heard a tapping by the window.  _What?_  Was his first thought.

He went nearer to the sound and found an Barn owl. He decided to ignore it, but he noticed that it brought something. He opened the window and petted the owl once(to make sure it was tame). And the owl surprisingly purred. He didn't know if it was normal for owls to purr, so he didn't give it any attention. He took the letter. He skimmed it once, twice, and sighed. Useless. Magic? Witchcraft? And seriously,  _Dumbledore?_  He'd at least get extra paper for research. Top quality Paper was getting harder and harder to find. And this was just... Wow. Why would anyone send this type of paper as prank materials? It was way too costly.

In the days that followed, several more letters arrived and he was getting annoyed. The stupid owl had sent twenty four letters in total and Ed wasn't stupid enough to think that this was still a prank. There was something fishy going on. He tried to reason that this was not good.(Once he thought that maybe one of his self proclaimed 'rivals' had the wits to try and throw him off rhythm by doing this. And how he was succeeding. Though Ed doubted someone would spend their money on useless pranks) A lot of wasted ink and paper. He sighed. He wanted people to be more aware of their actions. Ed decided to humor the render and replied:  
 _'To whom it may concern,_  
I'm sorry, but this is getting old. I mean really really _old. It's not that I'm not thankful for the high quality paper you so kindly supply me with, it's just... Irrational. I also demand you to stop this wasteful bombardment. You've killed more trees than I have liked._  
P.S. If you however do believe that magic really does exist, please verify it by coming yourself or by proxy, whatever suits your taste.  
Edward Elric'  
He let out a satisfied smile. That would probably make the sender stop.

He did a double take though, how was he supposed to send a letter back? A moment later, he decided that the owl was probably trained to ferry mail. It always stayed awhile after delivering the letters, and it was creepy.

A few days later, he found himself staring dumbly at an old woman by his doorstep.  _What on earth?_

"You are Mister Edward Elric correct? I am Minerva McGonagall, A professor at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Pleased to meet you." Edward blinked. It took him awhile to regain his composure. What? This is...

"You... mean... You think magic is real? What a load of bull-"

"Language!" McGonagall was stern. She was scarily similar to teacher, and it doesn't bid him any good. He had also met Izumi's double at a nearby dojo. She taught Judo, Karate and Aikido. Edward was terrified. But at least his teacher's double wasn't as powerful and as skilled. Ed could probably beat this one in his sixteen year old body. But that didn't mean she could be taken lightly. Relearning the movements were hellish. His body wasn't acclimated to his mind yet and he sometimes did maneuvers that his younger body couldn't yet execute. But with a little extra conditioning, he didn't have to wait long to regain his strength, speed and stamina. When he turned Ten, he had reached fifth degree black already, At eleven, he reached seventh. Izumi wasn't as scary but her mere presence still scared the life out if him. Not that he would admit though... To train the mind, you must first train the body. He'd never forget that. He stopped his musings when he remembered that the 'professor' was still there. He did some estimates and he hasn't been dazed for too long. He wasn't embarrassed.

"Would you like to come in? It's a little messy..." He gestured inside and McGonagall followed.

Minerva was surprised. When she was sent to make sure a muggleborn would accept magic existed, she didn't expect a very _unchildlike_  type of living. The boy's room didn't have any toys, posters and such. The place was filled with papers, obviously notes. Notes for what, she didn't know. The bed was made perfectly. It was too Spartan.

"Any preferences for your drinks?" He started casually.

"I don't know any muggle drinks."

"Muggle?"

"Non magical beings." Ed rolled his eyes, and muttered something. 'senile' was what she could make out, and she smiled. Muggleborns usually accepted magic after some demonstrations and she wished he would too.

"Coffee then." He went toward the kitchen, heating some black liquid. Minerva took an unsuspecting piece of paper and read through it. It was gibberish to her, but it was amazingly intricate. Even if she wasn't well-versed in Muggle related studies, she could tell that it wasn't usual for an eleven year old to be able to do these. Ed came back with a tray in hand, two cups resting top of it.

"So, you believe in magic?" Straight to the point.

"Yes. And I went here to make sure that you attend Hogwarts."

"I don't believe this nonsense. Magic does not exist." he stated calmly. He was cut off by the floating of the tray. The china made some porcelainic sounds and it dropped back down to his table with a clank.

"Impossible! This... " his mind worked furiously, nothing. slammed on the table. Levitation!? What the hell. Where was the equivalence? Things don't float on their own! Strings? None. Balancing of two equally same charged substance? Nope. Rejection force of two positively or negatively charged...

"This doesn't follow equivalent exchange!" he hissed. "Impossible."

"I assure you Mr. Elric, this is in fact, quite real."

"That could be a fluke for all I care. How do I know you aren't some con artist?"

McGonagall said some words in a foreign tongue and the chair turned into a dog. It looked like Den- minus the automail.

"How dare you!" He hissed furiously. He stood up, his up in anger.

"No one gave you the right to play with lives!" The professor just raised an eyebrow.

"I assure you, Mr. Elric, the dog isn't in any pai-"

"To hell with this!"

"They can be turned back." she said, reverting the dog back in as a chair.

"How...?"

Ed breathed, trying to calm himself. Magic can't exist! If it did then...  _Everything_  was... But there were no other explanations. He sighed. Giving it a chance won't hurt, right?

"Let's say I believe in this 'magic' of yours, what's in it for me?" McGonagall smiled. He was already considering the existence of magic. It would be easy from this point on. But... What could coax such a reaction from the blonde?

"You would learn how to harness your innate magic and it comes in handy." Ed snorted.

"So you're... 'wizards'," He paused... Magic. There wasn't anymore ways to go across The Gate with Alchemy... But maybe if magic exists... he might be able to get home! There was a way! He couldn't wait!

"What facilities do you have?" His eyes burned with a newfound determination. He would get home, no matter what!

"We have a Quidditch field," She hoped he would be interested. After all, most of the kids his age only thought about Quidditch. But sadly, he didn't even ask what it was! "all sorts of classrooms, a library, the dorms, the-"

"How big is your library?" he asked excitedly. How peculiar. Why an interest in the library when he could have Quidditch?

"The biggest in the state." she stated.

"Well then, enroll me or whatever. When does the term start?"

The deal was closed. He'd have to quit his teaching job though. He'd miss it. But it would be a change. He hasn't been a student since he was mentally five! At least he could relax. There wasn't any rush. He'd be normal for once.

"September. We'll go to Diagon Alley for supplies two weeks from now. Keep your day free. The supply lists are in the letters… that you kept receiving."

"The paper was nice by the way." Edward said with a slight smirk. McGonagall merely smiled.

"Well, then, it was nice meeting you."

Ed guided the teacher to the door and remembered... Sacha had a book about Hogwarts. He'd consult her when he had a chance. Right now, he had doubles to pacify his leaving.

==0==0==0==

Edward visited Sacha two days after his conversation with McGonagall. His mind was swirling with possibilities. Was Sacha a wizard? He'd have to confirm it. He didn't bother to knock, expecting Sacha to be home.

"Sacha, I've come to visit!" He called. Several little kids ran up to him.

"Edward niisan is back!"

"Edward!"

"What took you so long?" was endearing.

"Is Sacha here?"

"Miss Sacha said she would just go out to buy some coffee. Lara spilled the powder on the floor."

"It was an accident! You pushed me!" the child dubbed Lara started to storm around.

"I did not!"

"Did Too!"

"DID NOT!"

"DID TOO!"

"Now, now, would you want Sacha to have extra problems, now do you?" He scolded.

"No..." They answered simutaneously.

"Good." He patted their heads and smiled. He talked a bit with the kids and started to loosen up. A few more minutes and The door opened. Edward made aome shushing noises and sneaked up on Sacha.

"Why, nice of you to visit Miss." He whispered imitating a deeper voice. Sacha tensed and reached for something. Ed caught her hand and she looked up. Sacha breathed with relief.  
"Don't do that! You scared the wits out of me!"

"Yeah, like thats fun at all."

"Edward!" She sighed "Would you join us for dinner? The kids would be happy to be able to dine with you again."

"Nah, I just happened to be in the neighborhood and thought I ought to drop by." Ed said with a smile.

"I would probably stay here 'til five" Ed chuckled, glancing at a wall clock. Two hours. "And I have some questions later." His tone calm.

Sacha just smiled. "How about we talk while I cook? I can multitask."

"I'll help." Ed fell into pace with Sacha. Ed was still a good head shorter than Sacha. But he still hadn't hit his growth spurt so it was fine. At least he didn't have an extra body to sustain anymore.(He still hadn't found proof to that theory, but it was highly possible.) And he didn't have the extra weight from his automail to stunt his growth.

He entered the kitchen and asked:

"What are you going to cook?"

"Just stew."

"Well, I'll start filling the pot then,"

After putting on a black apron, Edward pulled the pot by the sink and started filling it up. He saw Sacha slicing up carrots and cabbages. He smiled and shifted the weight of the pot in his hands and positioned the pot on the stove. He tried to turn on the stove, and found that it had no gas anymore. He glanced at Sacha. She was still busy. Ed disconnected the gas tank from the stove and dragged it with him to the outside. Hearing the sounds of movement, Sacha looked at him.  
"What are you going to do?" She wiped her hand on her apron.

"I'll just refill this thing. It won't take long." He tapped the empty metal container. Then exited the kitchen through the back door.

He sat there, and analyzed the components of the cooking gasoline. He took some herbs and stuff to make it more efficient too. He clapped his hands and touched the assortment of objects. A flash of blue light, engulfed the container. Ed stood up, satisfied, and he heaved the thing up with a little effort. He went back inside, reconnecting the tube, just as Sacha was adding the vegetables to the pot.

"Where did you get that from?" Sacha asked curiously.

"S'a secret. It won't be a secret if I tell you." Ed smiled cheekily.

After setting the heat to mediim, she picked up a ladle and started stirring.

"You had some questions?"

"Yeah. McGonagall visited." She froze. And then smiled brightly.

"You're a wizard!" she said excitedly.

"That answers that." He said in an amused tone  
"When are you going to Diagon Alley?" Sacha asked rather excitedly. She hadn't bee there for ages!

"Next Friday." Sacha sighed dejectedly.

"I won't be able to come..."

"It's not like I was inviting you anyway."

"Hey! That's mean!"

"Anyway, do you have any informative books about that place? Bonktarts was it?"

"Hogwarts!" she corrected a little indignantly.

"Yeah, yeah. Mustards." Sacha just rolled her eyes.

==0==0==0==

"Yo, pipsqueak." a familiar figure was leaning on the door to his dormroom. It was still awkward to see him not wearing I military uniform.

"Shut up, Mustang." He recoiled instinctively.

"So... You're going to a school school abroad?"

"... Something like that." Mustang's smile became dangerous.

"Do you know how much I money I invested just to let you teach?"

"Approximately £500." Edward said, a matter of factly. Ed fished out his keys and slotted one to the doorknob. The door opened to reveal a very messily neat room.

"Sometimes I wonder how the hell you manage knowing a lot of things and still don't get head splitting headaches."

"I've been through worse."

"Of course you have." he said pleasantly sarcastic.

"Oh, have you ever tried politics and/or the military? That would fit you more than being a professor."

"I have enough ability and experience to top most of them, and I'm not satisfied with the workings of the government, I have plans, but no initiative." Mustang smiled, gracefully sitting down on Ed's couch.

"Colonel... I remember you called me that the first time. Why would you though?"

"Haha... Sorry... You just remind me of someone." Ed smiled sheepishly.

"From the military." Mustang deadpanned.

"Yep." Ed smiled. Ed weighed down his options. It would be nice to have a confidante to his secrets. Mustang had been tight lipped about secrets. Like when Hughes... Died... Or... He breathed. It would be nice to have an anchor. But he decided it could wait.

"Anyway, I'll be 'shopping' for school stuff later this week..."

"The Oh so Great Edward Elric? Going shopping? Apocalypse!"

"Shut up Mustang."

"Any progress?" He asked. Shuffling several papers on his work desk. Probably the superconductor.

"Oh, I'm just adding the finishing touches. The trace metals are already near perfect ratio. I'd add more, but it's going to get too stiff and hard to manipulate."

"Wouldn't it be better to not make it too… what's the term? Ah, ' _conducting'_?"

"No, the output would be reduced by 2.32%. If I play my cards right, it would end up having more than 3% more than usual. Wat… if I add more carbon here, then maybe the Aluminum would…" The ravenette stared at him amusedly. Ed pulled out a paper and started constructing several equations. Mumblig about bonds and insulations.

"AHA! There! Finally! You're a genius!" He was grinning widely.

"I don't get why  _I_  am the genius, I hardly did anything."

"I wasn't talking to you!" Ed snapped. "But I've got it. Just need to put it formally… Then present it to the college, then… Coouldn't you just say you were the one who… 'invented' this? It'd save me the trouble."

"Hah, I wouldn't take the credit even if it made me famous. Though I've been wondering… How did someone as little as you finish something people all around had been trying to find?"

"LITTLE?! I AM NOT SHORT!"

==0==0==0==

_And that's a wrap! Next chapter is Shopping in Diagon Alley, maybe meeting some others..._

_Oh and like what I said above, I've finished this more than two weeks prior to the posting. I'm just lazy. Very much so. I've also started to write the next chapter so it'll hopefully come up soon._

_I kinda went around my word at the first chapters here… hehe… said I won't make Ed be too indignant about his height… BUT I COULDN'T HELP IT! The characters write themselves, you know? Bah._


	6. Shopping and Trains

**A/N: Another Chapter! I'm finally starting The Hogwarts stuff. I haven't watched a single HP movie, nor have I finished any books. I'm relying solely on just the things I've read on other Xovers, so please feel free to point out what's wrong and what doesn't make any sense. I don't have my facts straight. Also, feel free to make suggestions. And if you have any reservations about how I write, I'm sorry, but it is likely changing, I'm not sure if that's good or bad. And some if the things that might have happened (in the story), didn't or isn't going to happen(because of lack of information), please tell me. So this is effectively AU. Also, since my first language isn't English, there might be some misuses of adjectives and maybe some spelling errors, so please be patient with me. I'm more than a little partial to researching for this fic since I only write this for fun and to shoo away boredom.**

**A/N 2: I noticed that I have been neglecting my fic in place of my own reading agendas, so I think It's about time I updated... Hehe... I ain't busy by any stretch of your imagination, but I think the largest contributing factor is my laziness...**

**And to answer someone's question,  
# Yes. I forgot about Harry. XD**

**Enjoy!**

==0==0==0==

CHAPTER 6

Edward didn't know what to expect. He knew 'magic' existed. But it still didn't change the fact that they don't follow any rules! He sighed. The universe should have already collapsed by excessive use of those sticks! He sighed. This was going to take a lot of getting used to. He'd need to make sure his brain wouldn't fry with the amount of Universal Rules twisting. He sighed. Thus just wasn't that easy on his sanity. He sighed again... He'd been sighing waay too often for his liking.

Edward massaged his temples, this day was just too stressful! This morning had been the worst! A slimy black guy, weirdly similar to Mustang (obviously not the Colonel's counterpart since he had met him before) without the greasiness. Saying his name was Propeller Sufferous Snake... or something and also that he'll escort his 'responsibility' to shopping. He was told to touch a  _worn sock_. He was incredulous at first, but put it in: 'Weird-things-needed-to-be-explained' list since plenty if things that didn't make sense kept on happening. He complied, and then in a moment they were there, the next... his stomach was twisting in a heavy knot and appeared somewhere unfamiliar. A noisy street with people to be specific. A lot of them. The noises were pounding on his disoriented brain, so he focused on breathing. He was given little time to get rid of his nausea and it annoyed him to no ends. It was apparently called 'Diagon Alley', filled with different colored robes of different people. He would've fitted in like a shoe had he worn his signature red cloak.

They went to the bank, Gringotts, first. He had noticed little fellas with weird anatomy configuration and felt the anger in his chest rise. Were they crazy?

"What are you thinking!?  _Chimeras_!?" He hissed.

"No, Mister Elric, they're  _goblins._  Have you or have you not studied magical creatures before? Chimeras are a third eagle a third lion and a third-" The Snake-ish man replied calmly, getting cut off.

"What the hell? Goblins? You've got some explaining to do."

The only thing he explained was that they were 'magical' and would learn about it in school. He grunted in annoyance.

The blonde was given a velvet money pouch that was relatively large. According to its composition, weight and density, it weighed more than the average coins, but he could carry it without much of a problem; though when the blonde had lifted the bag, the alchemist was surprised to find that it was lighter than expected. Had he miscalculated on the weight? But he was sure this certain type gold should be... He sent a glance at the black-haired man and saw that he had fingered his glorified twig; he shrugged it off figuring that the stick had something to do with it.

After a few narrowed glances to the creatures, they left the bank and hey headed to the bookstore, Flourish & Blotts, purchasing the needed curricular books. But Ed had other ideas. He had taken a LOT of other books, some things that might help and some for research. When he had taken all of the books he wanted, the cashier had looked at him oddly as he purchased the books. The greasy haired man sent him an oddly curious look. He just replied with a questioning glance.

"That's too many books, Elric." He had said disapprovingly but obviously amused.

Edward had just huffed, but complied.

When they neared the counter, he spotted a book with a Xerxian title, reading 'Potions'.  _Xerxes._ The origin of Alchemy. Thoroughly interested, he took it and browsed. It really was in Xerxian... and it described the general layout of Central, Drachma... wait... Central? _Drachma?_  He reskimmed it and found that it was a coded formula. He snuck it in his purchases, he'd decode that later.

When Sufferous had told him to find a pet, the dimension hopper had been hesitant, but had settled with a red chick that seemed too small ("Small!?") for it's kind. His 'escort' had told him -rather curiously- it was a 'Finnick's' but had too little information to care. It was unusual judging from the man's reaction. The crimson bird was rather tame, in complete opposite to its owner. It had taken a liking to the golden eyed alchemist, it had been

Having his clothes outfitted was a different story, he had outright refused to wear anything resembling a uniform. The military back home(There he became a little broody) had allowed him(grudgingly) that he didn't have to wear the uniform. After a few minutes of a rather loud shouting match between the tailor and Ed - it was one sided really and the tailor was winning- Ed had complied, reasoning to himself that he could 'improve' it with his alchemy.

Getting a 'wand' was little bit more troublesome since the alchemist was still foreign to the concept of magic. They had gone to a place called Ollivander's, but Edward was too enthralled by the supernatural that he just didn't care. His supposed escort had chosen to wait outside the shop, saying that the shopkeeper had preferred it when the customer/s went inside alone. The old man in the shop was creepy as hell, but hey, he dealt with too many lunatics to let it get to him. The ma- Ollivander -as he had introduced himself- had asked for his dominant hand which was apparently both, for having an automail had honed both of his hands in dominancy, but settled for his right. He had no idea of how many wands he tried. One had made a coat rack burst into flames, another had made all the windows in his immediate area shatter. Edward apologized profusely, but the wandmaker shrugged it offhandedly, saying it was fine. In fact the crazy old man looked like he was enjoying it! Oh how right he was. After who knows how long, the wandmaker went to the back of his shop saying he had something. The shopkeeper had reemerged from the back area with a furnished black box that had gold trimmings on it. Edward sighed in relief when a few sparks if gold had erupted from its tips.

"Twelve inches, Phoenix feather, and the wood from the mythical Tree of Eve. It is said that this wand prophesizes the chosen one, but who knows... To have a wand such as this to choose you, you must have a kind and pure heart."

The blonde rolled his eyes. Pure? Kind? Him? Oh the irony.

"I have had this for several decades, but it has only now had found its owner. I was afraid that such a wand wouldn't be useable. But now my fears are unfounded."

The Alchemist exited the store feeling a little lightheaded. Having to shift from dark places to insanely lit ones were always nauseating. They had gone to the Leaky Cauldron for rest. The Professor had told him that he would go to a place called 9 3/4 Platform on King's Cross Station in two weeks time.

Tiredly, he rubbed his eyes. Dropping to a bed, he just hoped didn't have any nightmares.

True to his wishes, he had a fulfilling dreamless sleep.

The next morning was rather bleak. He had eaten a rather healthy breakfast(he refused to eat junkfood) , but that was it. He started to read the textbooks he had bought. In the book "Hogwarts: a History"(dubbed 'Thick Book'), The alias 'You-Know-Who' came out a few times, every time, he had to refrain to roll his eyes, really, was their government so terrified of a single person just because he could kill with two words? And to not even mention the  _name?_ Ridiculous, but apparently, the 'Wizarding Community' didn't think so. The system of this part of the society was awfully crooked. Why weren't the completely obviously corrupt people been overthrown if...  _Ugh._  He groaned.  _I've spent too much time around Mustang._

The Charms book was useless save for some list of spells and their effects. It only contained the 'hows' and 'whats' and not the 'whys'. No logical theories and helpful historical constructive reasons.

Herbology was slightly overwhelming, discussing about plants that he never knew existed and with the most ridiculous names. Potions had his interest peaked more than any other subject, it was very similar to alchemy in its precision. It needed little to none use of the glorified twigs and he was grateful. There were plenty more subjects but his interest had waned totally by the time he read about telling the future and such gibberish, a load of crock. That was impossible. Nothing is set in stone. You could always run and redirect it no matter. It was nigh improbable, bordering impossible. He closed the books, sighing in boredom, and piled them up in the trunk that was given to him, sealing it shut with alchemy. He gazed outside seeing the sun had already set, he collapsed onto the bed, letting sleep take over him.

Two weeks later, he found himself in front of a rather... Blank space. 9 3/4? Does that even exist? Well, yeah, according to the Thick History Book it did. He waited for other people to come so as to not make a fool of himself. He checked his pocketwatch. It was still early into the morning. He spotted a familiar tuft of black hair and he sauntered to it's owner.

"Harry!" Ed called, rather reservedly. After reading the Thick History Book, he had found the name Harry Potter more than a few times and, after a few minutes of data compressing, he had discovered that the Harry he had met and befriended had been the same person. Speaking of friendships, Harry had looked up to Ed when he was 'saved' from the bullies. They had also discovered that they went to the same grade-school but that didn't last long since Ed was technically just going there for credit. They- Ed at least- had kept in contact through letters and such. But once he had abruptly stopped receiving letters from the emerald eyed boy, he had become suspicious. It turned out that his Aunt had been withholding the letters. Highly irritated, he had stormed into the unsuspecting house and threatened to report them to the police for child abuse and ran away screaming 'abusive adopted families' over and over again while being chased-but utterly failing. That had to be one of the most fun things he had done as a kid. Pleased to say, Harry had nearly died of laughter. But sadly, it wasn't taken to court. It was  _him_  who was reprimanded. And he just tuned out the scolding he got from the police.

"Ed!" The boy in brightened considerably.

"So, The-Boy-Who-Lived eh?" Edward teased.

"Don't even start..." Harry groaned.

"Sorry, sorry. Just couldn't help it." Ed grinned unrepentantly.

"So does this mean you're a wizard too?" Harry asked excitedly.

The blonde gave him a deadpanned look saying 'What do you think?'

Harry flushed. "Oi!"

The blonde laughed.

They continued on with their small talk. Harry seemed relaxed and comfortable around the blonde's company then they spotted a family of redheads huddling forwards the platform.

Surprisingly one just walked through it. They both gaped. What!?

They sauntered near and exchanged pleasantries. When Harry introduced himself, he gained a bit of awed looks, then squirmed. Amusingly, Ed didn't do anything and just took amusement to his squirming friend. The eldest redhead - Molly or something told then that the wall connected them the Station itself. Ed and Harry looked incredulous at the aspect, but eventually gave in.

"Running your first time might help." The homey woman said.

Ed had no qualms about doing it, seeing as the Thick Book had told him all about things he needed to know about the school he was going to. Of course, it was obvious that Harry didn't even bother reading it at all. He was never the book nerd-slash-genius Edward was.

He walked through the wall, feeling little shivers and tingles through his body as he passed. The next moment he was aware, he was greeted by a grand, bustling train station. Compared to Central's trains, it was plenty majestic. There had been a little commotion that started with a blonde that had been particularly nasty. Something Muffles was his name. The bully had two lackeys. They weren't particularly intimidating since he had practice with Sid (Izumi's husband) who in turn was less intimidating than their Teacher, Izumi herself. Needless to say when the condescending brat started spouting about how 'high up' his father was, Ed stopped hearing his little brother's voice in his head that said not to pummel the guy to the ground and nearly did so had Harry not restrained him(it was a rather feeble attempt but it was the thought that counts).

A rolling table had been brought in and there was this candy called 'All Flavor beans'. Ed took one, spit it out and gagged.

"What'd you get mate? Booger? Vomit?" Ron asked slyly.

"Worse!" Ed took a bottle of water and chugged it down. "Milk." He said with disdain.

"What's wrong with milk?" A brown haired girl asked.

"Are you kidding me? Milk comes from a cow! And Cows are  _evil_!"

And apart from an incident that Ron gained a broken nose from a comment on a certain blonde's height, the rest of the ride was fairly peaceful. And most of the people in that certain compartment had learned not to even mention the blonde's stature near him. Or ever for that matter. The midget seemed to know if he was being called short. ("Stupid narrator" he grumbled.)

It gave him an opportunity to live a life as a kid again. With friends his apparent age- not the real one since he was about 21 already.

The train was near when a bushy haired girl had told them to wear the robes. Ed ignored her. He was scared of women, sure, after all the only women(except his mom) he actually was in contact often were scary as hell. Hawkeye wouldn't hesitate to shoot him. Winry would hit him with her oh-so-trustworthy wrench(he really regretted buying her that mech set). Izumi... Ed shuddered. Best not to think of that. Maybe Gracia wasn't, but he didn't want to take any chances. After all, protective moms were the worst kind of women to go against.

Really, this was going to be one of the most interesting thing that happened since Father tried to make himself the perfect being yadda yadda. And he'd relish every moment. But who's not to say that he won't go back? He _would_ … eventually.

 _Damn._  He got attached.

==0==0==

_Fairly short, and not much dialogues. Anyway, reviews anyone?_


	7. Chapter 7

Following the hectic train ride, was the boat ride to the castle itself. Why on earth did it have to be so far away? Couldn't they just put it somewhere smack dab in the middle of London? Tch. Such an inconvenience.

They had met with a Giant—why the hell do real giants exist!? That's just _unfair_!—that Harry apparently knew and they were guided to the boats to have a scenic, and even longer ride to the castle itself. Why hadn't they just gone on the carriages that the 'older' ones had been riding in? They were pulled by those horses which looked like they were shadows with skeletons. Ed blanched at that. That would be less uncomfortable than sitting on planks of uncushioned wood even if the horses were a little unnerving. Ed sighed. He had gone way too long in luxury that even cushions were wherever he was. Stupid luxurious college, made him a semi-elitist by force! No one forced Edward Elric to do anything! He refused to! Such things are NOT important! But they were comfortable. And the life vests weren't really helping.

The boat ride was fascinating though. The view of the dark sky had accentuated the haunted-ish castle's hauntedness by a lot and that was saying something as he had usually never considered anything haunted as long as even one human or... in the present case, anything that could talk was in there. And given that it was a school, it wasn't unlikely that there were already teachers or staff there. He noticed that the other kids were pretty much awed by the view that he couldn't help but snicker at their comical faces.

The lake looked bottomless, clear for the surface and becoming a murky black under... or maybe it was just the lighting's fault. Ed wondered quietly if the surface tension was different. It HAD been dark outside after all. It had been written in that history book that it had a monster residing under it and Ed had to resist the urge to try and defeat said monster... The Kraken, was it? He had read that in a book of myths before... _Seafood_ sounds like a good idea right now. What? Spending his teenage years fighting against near immortals had made him think that normal was boring as hell. (He was _really_ curious about how Kraken meat tastes) But who could say that this magic thing was boring? Far from it actually. It was actually quite mind whirring. Why had Truth sent him here? What was his purpose of living this second childhood? He didn't know. And he didn't like not knowing. He shook his head, banishing such consuming questions for the while and wondered how his thought process jumped to an abrupt downward spiral.

Edward had received several weird looks, and he didn't know why (he had a few hunches, though). Maybe they knew how awesome he was? Hah! _Of course_ they did!

The boat ride was finished in a while, and they docked with only someone nearly falling to the lake being the only problem. Edward had tried to muffle his snicker but given that the several students gave him ark looks said that he really didn’t succeed. He wasn’t the only one laughing though and Ed had to smile at that. Good thing that not everyone in this castle had a stuck up sense of humor that they couldn’t even laugh at something so obviously funny.

When they had entered the Great Hall—or at least that's what he thought it was since it had been written down on the thick book that it _was_ —and thought that the person who named the hall wasn't very creative. _At all._

"Whoa." He heard Harry gasp and several other muted sounds of surprise.

Great didn't even begin to describe the feeling of astonishment that he felt when he saw the hall. The ceilings were up so high—maybe he should scale it sometime. He probably couldn't presently as his younger—YES! _Younger!_ Don't you dare call me _short!_ —body couldn't handle the stress just yet. It also seemed like it had been an open air mess hall, but that wasn't it, it seemed that it really was just a very high ceiling with an enchantment— that made it look like it was. Meh. He could care less.

The first years filed in in animated chatter. They crowded by the front area but was forced to take up something resembling a queue while the other were being ‘sorted’.

Ed heard several wary questions about how the House sorting would happen. He heard something about fighting a troll—which got him giddy—or completing some kind of quest.

A loud announcement about welcoming the youngest of the people there, welcoming the older ones back then something about sorting into the four different houses (they were probably like dorms in college) were announced in a booming voice.

And then a hat sung. It had him trembling in unbridled anger. They dared bond a soul into something that doesn't even have—images of Number 63 and Barry the Chopper and and Al in his armored body flashed in his mind's eye. No, that was probably not the case... at least he hoped so.

"Abbot, Hannah!" What was his name again? Fungledoor? Dumbledoor? Jungleboar? Bah, who cares anyway? The old man called, putting the singing hat on top of the girl's head.

After a moment of two, the hat cried out a house name.

It had made him impatient, waiting for his turn. Why can't they just hand out a list instead of doing it right at the ceremony? Speaking of handing out, "Harry?" Ed asked silently.

"What?"

"Do you know where our luggage is?" Ed asked, but Harry wasn't given a chance to answer as Ed's name was called.

"Elric, Edward!"

Ed sighed dramatically and turned to walk to the stool. He saw the old man smiling at him with twinkling eyes. It made him endlessly suspicious.

"Nervous?" The old man asked.

Ed scoffed. "Hardly."

Ignoring the old man's widening of eyes, he sat down on the stool.

"What an interesting mind you have—" The hat was shut off by Ed slamming down his mental barriers. One could be surprised that Ed already knew how to do it, but he had some problems with psychics and weird people trying to pry into his private thoughts that he had searched up ways to guard his mind without anyone else knowing better. It was when he had just turned twelve that one of his student knew some voodoo or something and tried to probe into his mind during some tests. Well, the student learned the horrors of messing with Hawkeye much too vividly.

"What the fuck are you doing in my head!?" He hissed, _mentally_. That was disrespect to intellectual property! That thing should be sued!

"Mental barriers? Oh how rare~! I've never sorted any eleven year old like you before Mr Elric… or are you _really_?"

“Psh. You already know. Why ask?”

“I’m a hat. I’m not logical.”

"Why are you stuck in this hat?" Edward could tell that this hat wasn’t really just a hat. His experience with Philosopher’s Stones helped him recognized the energy signatures that souls could give off and this hat was exuding power in spades. He must have been a very powerful human when he was alive if he manage to keep his sanity if the length of time that Hogwarts had existed.

"My purpose is to sort students if you hadn't already noticed Sir Alchemist."

"Damn you. How much did you see? No one warned me that something was going to be poking around my head." He scowled.

"Enough to know that you aren't really eleven and from this timeframe... or universe. Don't worry though. I respect secrets."

"Just... just go sort me already." He said impatiently.

"Since I'm supposed you judge you, I should really be fair," Ed could definitely hear that wink. "Ah! But I am unable to delve into your mind deeper. But your conviction to your brother—"

"Don't act as if you know anything!" He seethed.

"You're cunning, smart, hardworking, clever, loyal and brave. This is a hard choice. You fit all the qualities for each house! Ah... "

"Pick up the pace you old piece of rag. Or I'll transmute you into _mittens_. Pink, fluffy, laced with a floral scheme that would make even the girliest of girls blanch at its—"

"GRYFFINDOR!" Ed smiled triumphantly. _Finally!_

A loud applause was heard to the table around his right and he grinned, seeing the color scheme.

He stalked off the stool and sighed, sitting on the tab that had the red colored theme. The hat knew flashy! Good!

He barely started to sit down when two redheads—twins? they certainly look the part—bounced in front of him

"Welcome—" One of them said.

"—to—" As did the other

"—Gryffindor!" Then both finished.

"I'm Fred. He's George."

"I'm George. He's Fred." They said it simultaneously that Ed wondered if they practiced it. They were definitely identical, but their body mass and scent were slightly different. Fred smelled more of onions and George more of garlic (he didn't know why they did, but the scent had been washed off and near unnoticeable had he not been used to the near scentless military clothes around him). Also, Fred's eyes were marginally dimmer than George's. Nothing noticeable but enough to see when he’s really looking.

"We're the Weasley twins!"

An amused eyebrow climbed up. "Nice to meet you, Fred. George." He nodded to each respective person. "And if you were absentminded enough to miss the shouting of my name, I'm Edward Elric. Just Ed please."

"Nah, we heard."

"What did—“

“—you and that hat—"

"—talk about?"

"You sat there for more than fifteen minutes."

"Oh. Noth—"

"Potter, Harry!" Ed noticed that the hall had a moment of silence and scowled. Such useless one tracked minds that follow with every societal norm… Pff... Why didn't they do the same with his name? _He_ was supposed to be famous too, wasn't he? The silence broke to an awful lot of murmurs and whispers that was telling.

There was Harry, trying not to squirm under the expectant gazes of everyone. Ed saw through it anyway. He sent Harry a bright grin and a thumbs up, hoping that it would encourage the green eyed boy. Harry blinked and returned the grin.

The students seemed like they wanted Harry in their house, and the tension and anticipation. After a few minutes of waiting, the hat shouted "Gryffindor!"

Harry smiled in relief. Ed grinned triumphantly. A loud applause was heard from the Gryffindor table and it seemed that Fred and George was bent on introducing themselves to everyone that would be joining the Gryffindors.

"Yo!"

"Mate!"

"I'm Fred. He's George."

"I'm George. He's Fred."

Ed tuned them out. It seemed that they did practice their introduction. Such a waste of time.

The old headmaster commenced the feast with words that made no sense, even after reading extensive magical dictionaries, it seems he still hasn't learned most of the words.

"So, Harry, what did that hat tell you?" Fred and George asked.

"Umm..." Harry started, squirming under their gazes but saved by a familiar insulting voice a few paces off to their left.

"Why were you put in Gryffindor, you scaredy cat?" Ed gibed at another familiar redhead.

"I'm not a scaredy cat!" Ron retorted.

"Really? Who was scared when we were going through that wall? Not me, that's for sure." Ed said slyly.

"You were scared too!!" Ron accused.

"I was?" Ed asked innocently, "I don't remember anything of the sort."

"You bas—"

"Uh-uh, no swearing!"

"But _you_ swear all the time like it's normal!"

"I'm not really normal."

"Ha! You admit it!"

"I've never denied it."

"Party pooper."

" _Elementary_ student."

"No fair!"

"Hah! I win!"

" _Children!_ " Fred scolded Ron mock sagely.

"Stop this ruckus _immediately_!" George continued, mimicking McGonagall's stern tone and laughed afterwards.

"Are you talking to us? Or just Ron?" Ed asked amusedly.

"Just our dear little brother, Ronniekins of course."

"Bloo—" Ron started.

"—Dy hell? Little brother, no swearing!" The twin redheads chastised. Ron glared at them.

"Ugh. I hate you all."

=0=0=


	8. Chapter 8

==0==0==0==

**First Year**

==0==0==0==

The feast after the sorting was something Ed would never forget. Or he would someday. He wasn’t really picky about it. Dumbledore had warned them about something dangerous in a corridor somewhere and Ed had to bash his head on the table just to stop himself from realizing what such a stupid announcement would make the curious general masses do. Be curious _of course!_

Harry looked like he already wanted to look at the thing. Ed bashed his head on the table again. Stupid. Curious. Reckless _children!_

So he decided that unless Harry was going to do something stupid like look at the stupid corridor, he wasn’t going to deal with this stupidity. Even if the sheer stupidity of the whole thing would stupidly make this already batshit crazily stupid school with no common sense even _more_ stupider. So to eat it was.

He hadn’t had an extravagant meal since the last time Mustang had been generous—and that was years ago. He thought he was hallucinating at first, when food suddenly appeared at the table after the sparks of celebration but had dug in ravenously but in a manner that wouldn't be mistaken for something not fit for fine dining. He had speedily but deftly maneuvered his utensils as they brought food to the monster's lair that was his mouth. Most of his housemates looked much similar to him as what the probably ate before getting on the train had probably already gone through their system and the only store that sold any food was the candy trolley and that wasn’t really very filling.

Ed wondered what it would be like being an actual student in an actually school—granted, this school was far from typical, but he could feel the anticipation of learning something that interested him but had never really had the resources to study. He missed his teaching classes quite a bit, actually and he was looking forward to the summer where he would be teaching classes, if only for the months he was free. Mustang had insisted he do it, Ed always wondered how the guy managed to know what Ed wanted to do before Ed himself did. Mustang was just creepy like that but Ed used it to his advantage, knowing that the alternate Colonel would love it if he did teach (it helped the mostly understaffed University and lessened the load from the other teachers not to mention made more classes that could be taught than just the usual which meant more students could graduate and they would have great publicity means good cash.)

When the feast ended, they were ushered to their dorms and were oriented with the living situations and the big ‘NO’s and the musts. They were introduced to the Fat Lady by the Prefects and were given the password which Ed could remember but really didn’t much care about. Ed found the dorms cozy enough and it had touches of warmth that his dorms in the University lacked well, since he basically _lived_ in his classroom. He absently wondered who the hell cleaned the place up if the students weren’t asked to keep their own rooms clean but knew that the he wouldn't like the explanation as it probably involved more magic than he preferred. He had placed several alchemical triggers around his bed and on his trunk so as to prevent sticky fingers from taking what they think was valuable. He really didn’t remember what the names of his roommates were and he didn’t really care—some Zach or Sammus or something—so long as they stayed out of his way and didn’t invade his privacy. They would be smart to avoid him (his scowl had never once lifted when they talked to him unless he had a neutral and bored expression) though them striking up conversation was very unlikely since Ed had taken to avoiding them like the plague. He did not want to be friends with anyone thankyoyuverymuch. He was stuck in a dorm room separate from Ron and Harry, but he didn’t really mind. He wasn’t _that_ attached. He still had independence, damn it. Really.

Presently, Ed was in the common room, and since it was already around midnight, most of their housemates were already asleep. He had taken to reading about magical theory but all he was reading now was nonsense of the highest degree. There were what’s and how’s but not the why’s and he getting frustrated by the lack of progress.

“Ed, you there?” Harry asked as he sits beside the fireplace in the common room.

“Yup. Here.”

“Aren’t you nervous?” He asked quietly.

“Nervous about what?”

“Classes.”

“Not really.” Ed replied offhandedly. “I’ve read most of the assigned books already, so it wouldn’t really matter much. The material doesn’t seem that hard.”

Harry hesitated but continued, “It isn’t that hard?”

Ed smiled dryly. “It’s all rote memorization, so it’s fine.”

“Rote?”

“Word by word.” Ed clarified.

Harry laughed sheepishly. “I’m not really all that good with memorization much.”

Ed hummed. “I think I can help you with that.”

Harry brightened. “Really? Thank you!”

Ed didn't really have any problems with memorization at all and he never quite fully understood why people couldn't for the life of them actually learn how to manage their short and long term memories properly. Procrastinators did only use their short term memory and Edward though that it was such a waste of time just learning about a subject only to discard the whole concepts that had been taught right after they had been tested on it.

"So what's the property of—"

They had continued their small lessons until both of them could feel the exhaustion dropping on them. A quick _Tempus_ told them that it was already nearing midnight and they really should start resting if they wanted to stay awake in classes tomorrow. Harry had stood up first, not being used to staying up late and rather getting up early.

“Good night, Ed.”

“Good night.”

“Aren’t you going to bed yet?”

Ed waved his hand to shoo him away. “I’ll just finish this chapter.”

Harry smiled a bit then went up the stairs.

It didn’t take long before Ed followed.

==0==0==0==

The classes were simple enough. Potions, Transfiguration, Herbology and other stuff were on his schedule for the day and he didn’t really have any preferences as to what subject he would like to drop and never mention again but Transfiguration came very very close. He'd found in one of the library books called _Transfiguration and the Theory Behind It_ that all the objects in the world had 'idea' and 'form', much like what Aristotelian philosophers liked to believe. The concept was that an object can only exist if we have an idea of what it is, and a representation of such an object. For example, a chair is only a chair if we Know that it is a chair and that it is an object we sit on that is called a chair. Transfiguration apparently works on changing that 'idea' and giving it another form through methodical manipulation and a series of magical things that Ed probably wouldn’t understand until he got his hands on some other advanced reference book, but basing on context clues, it was just a series of small transmutations that drastically changed the property of the thing. Edward didn't think though that he would ever be able to stomach transfiguring animals into inorganic objects. Into other animals maybe, just for the sheer fun of it but not into something that couldn’t move. Having an in body paralysis is terrifying, just imagine like there were weights on your limbs and your whole body and not being able to move because you became something that _can’t_ move but you know in yourself that you should be able to. That is very terrifying.

His first Transfiguration class went simply. McGonagall had introduced herself—how the hell was she a CAT—and they had tried to change a matchstick to a needle. Her lectures tended to be painfully objective and straight to the point, her handling of the classroom was airtight which was probably borne out of years of practice of dealing with First Years who had very little to no knowledge of how to even control their magic. It seemed like the whole point of the class was to make them get a handle on their previously alien magic that they've never tapped into but Ed had already been circulating his own in his body ever since he realized that he had his own Dragon's Vein (the whole basis of Alkahestry) running through his body which was apparently, his magic core. The hard part of it wasn't the transfiguration itself, he'd done it and changed it back without even _saying_ the spell (apparently an advantage of having been transmuting for years upon years), but the 'dumbing down' he needed to do if he really wanted not to be noticed. Which he was spectacularly failing at, but what the hell, he'd at least try. He liked showing off though, so that was going to be very very hard.

At the end of the class, only a rather 'active' girl had managed to do it (other than himself). Edward, as a professor himself, didn't dislike studious and oftentimes too overachieving students but he also knew how exasperating they could be in their persistence when left alone for long periods of time. Edward had to hand it to her though, she knew what she was doing. McGonagall had apparently caught him changing it to and fro repeatedly and oftentimes varying the color, shape, and sometimes putting on demonic engravings that Ed considered art. It was awesome, he tells you.

"Have you practiced this before, Mr. Elric?" McGonagall had asked him curiously after announcing a good 20 points to Gryffindor and praising his speedy progress.

Ed had shrugged and told her that no, he hadn't had any practice in Transfiguration before today. McGonagall's eyes shone with pride and told him to "keep up the good work". He had assisted some of the other students with theirs while Hermione had looked in with barely disguised jealousy and a competitive glint to her eyes.

Oh no.

 _Nonono_.

She couldn't be one of _those_. The type of people who worked to surpass people smarter than them just because they had been the best from wherever they had been from but latched onto them anyway and declare themselves as Eternal Rivals. No. Just no. Please no. (Truth only knows how many Ed had and a lot of them were more that _thrice_ his age!) It was actually quite common in the higher end colleges and universities as freshmen usually were valedictorians or at least honors in their own highschools to think that Colleges were just an extension of their high schools lives but they didn't realize the sheer amount of unpreparedness they had emotionally for the competitiveness that was inspired. They probably hadn't realized how big the world was and just how many people were both better and worse than they were in that particular field that they chose. She—Granger, was it?—reminded him a little bit of Paniña, the girl from Rush Valley with two automail legs. Ed really didn't want someone to be a 'rival' since those kinds of people were the most troublesome of the whole lot.

He'd need to snap her out of it.

Potions with the Slytherins was met with billowing capes and the hooked nose of their Potions Professor, Severus Snape—Ed nearly hadn't recognized him as the person who helped him get around Diagonal Alley as the one he'd met was much more... self-contained? Ed didn't really know the right word for it but, eh. Snape had given a speech that was most probably to intimidate the good percentage of the room and also to earn the healthy fear that he most probably thought to be the best in a classroom setting. Well, either that, or he was just really bad with children. Ed was betting on the second one. These wizards are barmy, he tells you!

Ed's respect for him plummeted though when he started to grill Harry on things that the boy has probably never even heard about before, even in passing. Arrogant bastard. There was something odd about the first glance he gave to Harry though. It looked like an ugly mix of hatred, guilt, self-loathing and disappointment. Ed had no idea what that was supposed to be. He quite liked the beginning of the lesson itself though and he could feel that the Professor really did intimately understand what he was taking about, even if he did tend to be dramatic about it (Ed himself couldn't talk, he, rather than drawl out and stress his words but tapping the board, tended to get so into his lecture that he didn't realize that he was already gesticulating like a crazed madman) and unfair in how he treated his students which looked like it was based on which House they were sorted in.

Potions was similar to alchemy, _his_ Alchemy, not the weird flaky one that this world seemed to have (it was painful to have been downgraded to something so... unscientific when the whole basis of Alchemy was wholly and entirely scientific! (If you disregarded the whole Gate requirement thing).

All in all, classes were pretty normal. Just add the whole magic thing and you’re set.

==0==0==0==

"Malfoy asked you for a duel?" Ed asked as he halted spinning a stick (a piece of normal wood that looked exactly like his real wand with a little bit of alchemy to help him) in his room. He had just been practicing one of the nifty magic exercises he had found in one of the books from the restricted section (asking Professor Quirrell had been a cinch and with a little excuse to read more was just brilliant) that involved setting aside the wand and using a normal tool that was more for focus than amplifying the innate magic that all wizards had like normal wands. (It had come up and had been referenced by one of the mainstream Transfiguration Books and he really wanted to read all of those) If he somehow managed to cast _Wingardium Leviosa_ without a real wand, it would mean that he could do almost everything else without a wand and he wouldn't be restricted to using the stupid stick for every little thing.

Harry grimaced. "Yes. I have to go. I don't want to be treated like some trash off the sidewalk."

Ed hummed. "I don't think you should. That Malfoy kid certainly looks like the type that doesn't really strike me as someone who would risk his own hide just to duel you. Even if you are the Boy-Who-Lived."

"I hate that." Harry frowned.

“Regardless, it’s true.” Ed pointed out. "So are you still going?"

Harry nodded, grimacing. "I don't think I should though."

"Then don't." Ed replied blithely. "It doesn't really affect me either way."

Harry pursed his lips. "I'll go. I need to at least see Malfoy turn completely blue from head to toe."

Ed blinked. "Blue?"

Harry blinked back. "Ah. Well, Fred and George taught Ron and me some spells they thought would be funny to know. That was one of them.”

"You coming, Harry?" Ron asked as he passed by the door.

"Wish me good luck!" Harry smiled.

"Make sure to serve his head on a platter!" Ed cheered. Though Harry probably wouldn’t take it literally, he was just a child after all.

Then they left. Ed went back to his training.

==0==0==0==

“You went into the room that the Headmaster had _explicitly_ warned the whole school of?” Ed asked amusedly. No one had died, so at least that was a good thing.

“Well, Malfoy hadn’t shown up, and then there was Filch and Peeves. We didn’t even know that it was that corridor! It was an accident!” Harry protested weakly.

Ed looked at him suspiciously. “I know you’re planning on doing something stupid.”

“I want to know what’s hidden there, though.” Harry muttered.

“If there’s anything I can help with, fire away.” Ed assured. He’s been adventuring too much in the books anyways.

“Well, there was this large three headed dog guarding a trap door and—”

 

==0==0==0==

It was Halloween when Edward was just about to leave the Great Hall for another one of his reading sprees (McGonagall had looked amused when she had realized that Edward was already through with three whole shelves of books and Madam Pince had already started to recognize him due to spending too much time in the library, sometimes even forgoing meals just to read something interesting) when Quirrell had come in screaming about a troll in the dungeons. One of the teachers had stupidly announced that they were to send the students back to their dorms when in the first place, the Slytherin ones were in the dungeon where the Troll was purported to be. Edward saw Harry and Ron exchange meaningful looks and was instantly suspicious.

“What’s wrong?” Ed asked.

“Hermione! She doesn’t know about the Troll!” Harry blurted out. “She wasn’t in the Great Hall because Ron said something stupidly insensitive to her.”

“But she really _does_ have no friends!” Ron said defensively. “Ed’s smarter than her, too. So what does she have that people want?”

Ed pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. “Really? And what have _you_ to offer, Weasley? You aren’t smart, either. Or have any redeeming qualities that have _value._ If that’s your argument.”

Ron flushed to the tips of his hair.

“We have to go save her.” Harry insisted. “We can’t just let her be eaten by the Troll!”

Ed frowned. “Why do _you_ have to save her?”

“Because it’s our fault that she’s in this position in the first place!” Harry nearly yelled.

“Not yours. Weasley’s.” Ed absently corrected. ”Why don’t we just tell a Professor then?”

“Are you crazy?” Ron hissed. “They’ll deduct House Points from us!”

“And _that_ is more important than a classmate’s life?” Edward demanded. The short silence from the redhead made him snarl but he needed to calm down. “Where was she last seen?”

“T-the second floor b-bathroom, I think.” Ron stuttered.

“Go back to your dorms and don’t do anything stupid, you hear me, Weasley?” Ed growled.

“But I want to help!” Ron protested. Ed levelled a heavy glare onto the redhead.

“I think you’ve done enough damage for one day.” Ed seethed. “You need to go with the others too, Harry.”

“No.” Harry said firmly. “I’m not going to let you go there alone.”

Ed gave him a hard stare and he didn’t quail. Good. “Fine. And Weasley?”

“What?” Ron snapped.

“If you _do_ follow us, the Troll would be the last thing you need to worry about.” Ed threatened.

The trek to the second floor was hurried and Ed could sense that Harry was tiring due to his sprinting and deigned to slow down a bit to accommodate for his less physically fit companion. Ed really needed to get his act together. He’d been holed up in the library for too long! Arriving at the second floor bathroom, the only slightly hesitated at the fact that they were about to enter a Girl’s Restroom, but propriety would have to wait. There was a troll on the loose.

“Granger?” Ed called and he could hear sobbing sounds from one of the stalls.

“Go away!” She yelled. “I don’t want your pity!”

“This _isn’t_ about pity!” Ed said flatly but with enough volume to reach her. “There’s a troll on the loose and I think it’s heading this way.”

Hermione whimpered in fear and opened the stall hurriedly. “You aren’t lying are you?”

The suddenly a deep throated growl echoed in the bathroom. _Here it is._ Ed’s eyes glistened in challenge. _Bring it Trollface!_ Granger didn’t look suspicious anymore. It was more scared than anything. Hah. Wimp.The Troll was blocking the exit so the only possible way for escape was cut off. Ed grimaced and pulled out his wand from his sleeve then cursed. This wasn’t the real one. He let out a breath to calm himself. Harry was comforting Granger with some words that Ed wouldn’t be caught saying to anyone.

The Troll was swinging its club widely and Ed ushered the other two to the last stall so that he could ‘stall’ the Troll at least until the teachers arrived. The club hit one of the stall and Ed had to restrain a wince when a Ghost suddenly wailed about some ugly thing destroying her U-bend. Ed could hear Granger gasp from wherever she was. Harry would most probably tell Granger about his ability (He had told Harry about Alkhaestry just a few days ago when the kid had found him transmuting a quill and some bits of metallic things into a _proper_ fountain pen)

Ed drew his wand, more for show than anything, really. _The floor is mostly stone so—_ And then clapped, a metallic sound echoing in the bathroom, touched the floor—blue electricity traveled from his hand to the floor—and pointed his wand at the feet of the Troll, its feet sinking into the stone floor that opened and swallowed its leg and falling on its front. Ed continued his transmutation as the floor swallowed the Troll and Ed made the stone claws crush the Troll’s skull. Ed could feel the soul from the Troll leave and he heaved a sigh of relief but then clapped his hands again to return the floors to its boring flat self. The whole encounter didn’t even span more than three minutes at maximum. (A small part of Ed wanted something or someone who was good at sparring spar with him) And as if by cue, the professors entered the bathroom with worried expressions and took the surroundings into account.

“What happened here!?” McGonagall appeared and rushed to Ed’s side. Snape was also there, silently perusing the area. “Didn’t you hear the announcement at the Great Hall?”

“It was my fault, Professor.” Hermione admitted as she exited the stall, followed by Harry and they approached Ed and the Professors. “I thought that after reading about Trolls I would be able to beat it.”

“And beat it, you did.” McGonagall allowed. “Though this is still infringement of the rules, I am quite curious, how _did_ you beat the Troll?”

“Harry used _Wingardium Leviosa_ to take the club from the Troll and dropped it on its head.” Ed lied so blatantly. Harry hadn’t even twitched at the lie, having been used to cover for the blond in the many occasions they had gotten into trouble when they were younger.

McGonagall stared at the both of them as if trying to figure out whether they were lying or not and decided that the boys had absolutely _no reason_ to lie to her about this.

“Indeed.” McGonagall raised a brow and continued. “Five points from Gryffindor for going against the decisions of the Teachers and recklessness. Each of you.”

Hermione had the mind to look somewhat ashamed. Ed didn’t really care about House Points but thought that Hermione would probably be able to regain the lost points in a single day after this debacle was over.

“But, for bravery and putting ahead the needs of others before your safety, Fifty points to Gryffindor.”

Ed grinned. Harry smiled.

==0==0==0==

“So what was that thing you did with the Troll?” Granger asked curiously.

Ed gave Harry a glance and the boy instantly understood it as a signal to look for possible eavesdroppers. Harry gave Ed a thumbs up then Ed began talking.

“That, was Alchemy.” Ed said.

Granger’s brows bunched together. “Isn’t alchemy the process of turning lead into gold?”

Ed snorted. “Hardly. _My_ Alchemy involves a great deal of science.”

“ _Muggle_ science?” Hermione asked surprisedly.

Ed’s nose scrunched. “I dislike that word. It makes me want to strangle something. I prefer the term ‘mundane’ myself. Yes. Science.”

“Where did you learn about it? What does it do? Does it have any limitations? I saw that what you did to the troll looked a lot like a series of transfigurations done on the floor. And it was _fast._ How long have you been able to do it? Can anyone learn to do it?” Hermione’s eyes were glistening in curiosity and Ed sighed and prepared himself to be questioned and interrogated.

“Teacher. Lots of things. Yes. Since I was five. Yes.” Edward rattled off the answers and Hermione looked a like she was trying to recall exactly what questions she had asked and then froze.

“Can you teach me?”

“I won’t.” Ed said with a tone that brooked no argument. Hermione never brought it up again. But it never stopped her from asking questions about how it worked.

Ed despaired.

==0==0==0==

“Make up?” Hermione frowned. “With who?”

“Weasley.” Ed shrugged. “I’m not exactly affected, but I think it’s stressing Harry out.”

“No. _I_ don’t need to apologize to him.” Hermione said stubbornly.

Ed raised a brow. “Really? Weren’t you being a bit bossy when we were at Charms?”

Hermione flushed and conceded. “Fine.”

==0==0==0==

Ed was just packing up his things when he saw Draco Malfoy hesitating at the corner of the library. The alchemist stared at him suspiciously but knew that the boy couldn’t do any serious harm to him, though maybe if he let down his guard enough.

“Elric.” The Malfoy greeted with all the condescension a real eleven year old could muster. It wasn’t really all that impressive to Ed. Maybe if it had been Weasley or Granger, they probably would have bristled in indignation but Ed was well experience with these types even if the experiences weren’t entirely willing.

“Malfoy.” Ed acknowledge with a slight downward tilt to the head. “What brings you here?”

“Potter.”

Ed raised a brow. “You came all the way here to talk about Harry Potter?”

“No!” Malfoy reflexively replied. “Yes. Not really. Er, maybe?”

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. He thinks he knows what this is about. “Are you saying that you want to be _friends_ with Harry?”

Malfoy paled. “NO!”

“Oh, really?” Ed asked sarcastically. The reaction had cemented it. “Well, of course not. He did reject your little offer of friendship on the train, didn’t he?”

Malfoy paled even further and his voice was hardly even above a whisper. “How did you know that!? You didn’t even pay any attention to anyone when you were on the train.”

Ed stared at him. “I was guessing. You just confirmed it.”

Malfoy’s lips pursed. “I don’t even know what made you talk to you.”

“You know, the reason that Harry rejected your offer was because you didn’t know what to talk about besides yourself and your family.” Ed said finally. “You need to keep an open mind, prat. Nobody likes being treated like trash, much less the friends they treasure.”

“The giant was an oaf!” Malfoy protested.

“And did Harry think the same? Hagrid was the First person other than me who actually gave Harry a gift. I very much doubt that he wouldn’t like him.”

==0==0==0==

“—and we found out that Fluffy was a pet of Hagrid’s.” Harry told Ed.

Ed stared at him. “So let me get this straight. You think that what Fluffy is guarding is a Sorceror’s Stone—which by the way sound scarily similar to a Philosopher’s Stone and even seems like they have similar effects—that was made by Nicholas Flamel and you think Snape is planning to steal the thing.”

Harry nodded at the condensed restatement of the problem.

“You… have issues.” Ed stated.

“So will you help us?”

“Sounds like fun.”

==0==0==0==

The flying lesson was one Ed would really rather forget. Hooch had them trying to get the brooms to respond to them but Ed could just _feel_ the sheer sense of wrongness that came from the broom and he really didn’t want to ride on something that might break if he pushed it too hard. Which considering how it looked, might probably be a gust of wind.

Saying “Up!” hadn’t made the broom respond at all and Ed stopped trying altogether but then he got curious. Rather than the flight that the broom had offered, he was more curious about the enchantments that was done to the broom so that it would react to the twists and turns that the wizard does to the broom. Does it somehow tap into the magical core of the wizard riding on it or did it somehow have its own battery that granted it flight? Was it sentient? No. Very unlikely.

Ed was quite caught up in his musings (he made sure to half-heartedly say “Up!” every time Hooch was paying even a small amount of attention on him) that he only noticed that the Longbottom kid had injured himself—how did he manage that—and Hooch had left them to help the Longbottom kid to the Infirmary.

Leaving Gryffindors and Slytherins without supervision with flying brooms that they might use wasn’t really the best move a teacher could do. Really.

It somehow ended up with Harry, Malfoy and Zabini in detention. Harry and Malfoy for taking to the air when it had been explicitly stated not to and Zabini for something to do with messing with Lavender Brown’s broom. All in all it was amusing with all the excitement that could be expected.

==0==0==0==

“Quidditch?” Ed asked as he eyed the broom-shaped present that landed with a heavy thunk on the table.

“Yes. Apparently McGonagall thought that I was good enough to be a Seeker.”

==0==0==0==

Ed groaned as he sat up from the couch in the common room, his neck cracking slightly due to having fallen asleep in an uncomfortable position. The room was empty since it was already late in the evening and most of his other housemates preferred to be in their own dorm rooms. Weeks had passed with very little amount of things happening. (He hadn't really spent much time with Harry ever since the boy had found a friend in the ginger boy--not that he minded really, he was an adult in an prepubescent boy's body, not some insecure teenager who didn't want to be parted from his friends due to thinking that they would forget about him if he left or he stayed quiet long enough.

"—but what about the dragon!?" was the harsh whisper from the door where the painting of the Fat Lady had just closed.

Ed raised a brow? A dragon? Now that he had to see.

"What?" Ed raised his voice slightly. "A dragon, you say?"

Ron—apparently the owner of the voice—had frozen as did Harry, who was with him.

"N-no! No dragon anywhere!" Ron bumbled. "I was saying er—umm—Wagon keg! Right! Those things are tasty by the way—" then quieter as if they think Ed didn't hear, "Harry, a little help here?"

"Hagrid has a dragonet—a baby dragon—in his hut." Harry steadily admitted. "We weren't supposed to tell anybody."

Ron's palm met his face. "What are you doing!? You do know what 'secret' means don't you?"

Harry shrugged. "It's Ed. He'd most likely just want to see the dragon than tell on us."

"You've suddenly got all good at reading my character?" Ed asked musedly.

"Are you saying I'm wrong?" Harry asked challengingly.

Edward snorted. "Nope."

“My brother Charlie works at a Dragon Reserve in Romania, so I think he’ll be able to help.” Ron revealed.

“That could work.”

“We can’t get caught though!” Harry said. “Hagrid might get fired!”

“Isn’t it illegal to possess a dragon anyway?” Ed asked dryly. “He will be fired alright if anyone who cares about such a thing finds out.”

“We can use my invisibility cloak!” Harry volunteered.

“That thing doesn’t muffle sound, you know.” Ed pointed out.

“So when do you think your brother can come?” Harry asks.

“Maybe next week, but certainly this month.”

==0==0==0==

“What do you mean Snape is casting curses on Harry’s broom?” Ed asked incredulously. “Can’t you see Quirrell over there casting towards Harry, too?”

Hermione frowned. “Thee what is Snape doing?”

“Have you ever heard of the word counter-curse, Granger?”

“You mean Snape isn’t _attacking_ Harry?”

“Do you think if Snape blatantly threatens Harry’s life that Dumbledore will actually stand for it?” Ed reasoned, not believing his own words but knew they had enough logic to sway the studious girl.

“Dumbledore is already old, though.”

“That doesn’t make him any less likely to make mistakes. Most old people are sharper than a sword burnished by fire.”

“But we have to do _something._ Harry’s still in trouble.”

“Why don’t we just ambush both of them? Distract both of the long enough for both of them to stop casting.” Ed suggested. “You take Snape and I take Quirrell.”

Hemrione nodded and sprinted to the other side of the stands with Ron in tow. Ed stared at the turban-headed Professor and ran outside, his feet making no sound as they touched the ground.

Clapping once and touching the ground, he made a makeshift stone cannon, complete with a makeshift stone silencer, he launched three round soft rubber cannon balls to the air, lobbing them and running quick calculations in his head and predicting where Quirrell might run to, how long it would take him, how fast acceleration due to gravity was, what angle he needed to use so that it hits Quirrell exactly on the head or shoulders. Quirrell might possibly die due to it (only if Ed did his math wrong though, which he never does), but Ed had made sure that the cannon ball at the velocity of the impact would only knock the man out. (He could have done them in both this way, but he had faith in the Potion Master’s character that he wouldn’t do something like that)

After the launch, he had sprinted toward the stands again, just in case the ball might hit someone else, but Quirrell hadn’t moved an inch. Then the ball fell and knocked him unconscious.

Edward inwardly did a victory dance. And at the same moment, Harry had regained control of his broom and swallowed the snitch whole.

==0==0==0==

“So what do we do about the Stone?” Ed casually asked, just a few days after the Quidditch match.

Harry stopped mid-bite. They were at the Great Hall now, and looked at Ed in slight concern. “What made you ask?”

Ed grimaced. “I heard from Hagrid that he found some Unicorns bleeding to death in the Forbidden Forest.”

“Unicorn blood had great healing properties, doesn’t it?” Harry asks worriedly, for once actually managing to describe what a potion ingredient did without Ed having to drill it into him first.

“Yes. I think whoever want the Stone is getting very desperate for them to start killing Unicorns of all things.” Ed snickered slightly—which came out a cackle—when he realized that the whole reason why Quirrell was getting desperate was largely due to him dropping the equivalent of a bag of potatoes on his head.

Harry sighed exasperatedly. “You know, I think that if you continue this, I’ll start to think you’re some kind of Evil madman trying to take over the world.”

Ed grinned. “That dry humor is why I like you.”

“So what do we do about the Stone?”

Ed shrugged. “Well, what else? Take it, of course.”

“Just like that?” Harry asked blankly.

“Yep.”

“But you were against it!”

“Past tense. Which means not anymore.”

“What made you change your mind?”

Ed shrugged. “I got bored.”

Harry just laughed. “You really are ridiculous.”

Ed really didn’t mind. This was a second chance at life, he wasn’t going to take it too seriously now that he pretty much already lived his first stressful life. This one was going to be his happy-go-lucky life that he would only take seriously when there was no other choice left. But, hey, he still had a lot of choices in his so why not milk it for all its worth? It was definitely more interesting than just sitting there, just learning without all the adventure that seemed to follow Edward everywhere.

==0==0==0==

“So a song will make the beast slumber?” Ed asked sarcastically.

Harry cracked a grin while Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron was nowhere to be seen, and was most likely hanging out with Ed’s roommates Seamus and Finnigan. Maybe the Weasley would agree to a switch in bunks.

“Do you have the flute?” Hermione asked worriedly.

Harry pulled out the wooden flute and started a small song that wasn’t written. It was really more just a combination of random stuff but it didn’t really sound awful. The Cerberus seemed to actually manage to fall asleep. Ed looked at the big dog incredulously and cast a fake-wand Levitation Charm at the dog and put it by the back of the room. Opening that trap door showed them that the place was dark so they levitated each other down the hole with more than a little apprehension on the part of the trio that wasn’t Ed. What? Ed really like mysteries, though he liked solving them more than the idea of a mystery but hell, this was so exciting! He hadn’t had this much excitement running through his veins since before he had been de-aged to a five year old.

A _Lumos_ had lit their surroundings and they immediately recognized that plant that was hanging all over the passageway and Edward knew they didn’t really know any fire-inducing spells yet so he clapped and pulled out one of the knives he had stolen from the dinner table and struck the stone floor with one quick swipe and burned the plant to ashes. Thank you Colonel, for that wonderful array you so painstakingly created.

Hermione had looked awed at the sheer practicality of alchemy and asked. “Can you really not teach met that?”

Ed looked at her and sighed. “Ask me again after you’ve passed AP Chemistry and AP Physics from a mundane school and manage to run a full lap around Hogwarts and maybe I’ll consider it.”

Hermione’s eyes shone and she nearly hugged Ed in thanks when they realized that Harry had coughed and pointed to the end of the hallway.

The next hallway was one filled with keys that had wings and were flying and it was Harry’s run to shine when they saw brooms lining the walls. Hermione managed to do a spell that matched the lock with its key so they managed to know which hey to catch. It only took Harry about fifteen minutes to actually catch they key so they opened the door and went to the next one.

This one was a big chessboard and Ed had played. He used one of the more annoying five-move checkmates that was known to man (all of which Mustang had used against him already, the annoying Bastard because he deserved the capitalization). Harry had rolled his eyes in exasperation but when the pieces suddenly started to move on their own and target Ed, who had taken the place of the King, they knew it was time for them to hightail it out of there and run.

The next one was a riddle. Edward thought that he’d already had his turn so he didn’t really cooperate in this one. There were apparently only two potions that would be able to safely carry them through the fire, so Hermione had entrusted that task to them and she had told them that she would go back the way they came but come back if there was something she probably couldn’t handle alone.

Ed and Harry had drank the bottle and ran through the flames, not even touched by the heat. There they saw Quirrell without his Turban with the face of Voldemort. There was something about the being that resided in the back of the Professors Head other than the fact that is wasn’t supposed to be there at all. Edward knew that he could feel the souls of the world dues to him having used his own soul as an alchemic amplifier so many years ago in that cold abandoned mining town near Briggs. The soul felt— _shattered­_ —for some ungodly reason and Ed could feel something had snapped. Though he forgot all about this train of thought when Quirrell started to talk.

“Harry Potter.” The Quirrellmort said—because he was neither really just Quirrel nor really just Voldemort. He talked about himself, about immortality and stuff like that that Hohenheim and Father had already partially achieved and revenge and blah blah blah. He was really monologuing like crazy now, wasn’t he? Edward yawned. What time is it now? He cast a _Tempus_ which said that it was nearing midnight and had caught the attention of the monologuing villain.

“Oh, no don’t mind me. Carry on with whatever it was, you were doing.” Ed waved them off.

Quirrellmort stared. “Such insolence! You will suffer—”

“I can’t believe you can say that with a straight face.” Edward chortled. “That’s just so old fashioned! Did you pull it out of a Shakespeare—”

“Silence! You shall perish.”

Fuck that was hilarious. Edward could feel himself cracking up.

Harry shot a tickling charm at Quirrellmort and the villain gave up several demented giggles before managing to finite the charm then his aura grew even more murderous. Ed really didn’t want to bore you with the details of the fight which involved villains turning blue, several chunks of the wall being blasted out, Harry almost dying, Fawkes and Dumbledore appearing just in time for Harry not to die and ‘vanquish’ Quirrellmort which became just Quirrell somehow. They won anyway, happily ever after, the end.

No not really. As much as he would have liked that to happen already.

It took them several days to recover from the battle which when Ed remembers, still makes him laugh somewhat even if the two of them nearly died, but that was normal for Ed anyway and just as quickly becoming the new normal for Harry.

The school year was ending fast and Ed could tell you that it had been fun and exciting. Dumbledore had unfairly announced that due to ‘Vanquishing’ Voldemort again, Gryffindor was awarded 200 points per person who helped. Specifically, Harry, Ed, and Hermione. Ron was a little put off by it, but hadn’t begrudged them of the adventure since he himself was the one who avoided them in the first place (Ed still didn’t know what prompted the redhead to avoid them, but Ed had the inkling that Hermione had stood her ground and threatened castration with rusty spoon or something equally disturbing and Ron was just trying to save his own hide and lay low for while.)

**YEAR ONE: END**

**A/N: Surprised? Well, you shouldn’t be. I told you I’d just gloss over Year One. XD More excitement to come in Year Two (It would probably take me three to four chapters of medium length to go over the whole thing, haha.)**

**B I G  N O T E !**

**Who wants to be my beta? I’m looking for one so that they’d be able to dissect what this may or may not be and all those things like that. I still don’t know much about HP other than the main events that happen in each book, so please bear with me.** **J**


	9. Chapter 9

==0==0==0==

**Summer and That Book**

==0==0==0==

The whole train ride back had been a little disappointing as he had realized that magic wasn’t allowed to be performed by people under seventeen even if technically he was older than seventeen when they weren’t at whatever magic school they decided to go to. He had slept on the train mostly while trying to fit in as much practical magical practice as he could until he was restricted by the laws that wizards decided was good.

Ed had made sure that his trunk was as light as could be with a Feather Light Charm that Fred and George had taught him sometime after the whole Stone debacle. Ed almost dreaded going back to the University dorms as Havoc, in one of his letters had let slip that they—who _they_ were, it wasn’t really explicitly or implicitly stated—prepared a surprise for him when he got back from his ‘boarding school in Scotland’. Mustang had been mighty suspicious about the whole thing as he’d never really heard of a school prestigious enough for Ed to need to go there for a whole seven years especially if said school wanted eleven year olds and Ed fully aware of the secrecy that surrounded Magic and its Ministry, had decided that this Mustang was trustworthy enough to be told of the magic all the while managing to keep the whole thing low key. Mustang had been sworn to secrecy and the moment that Ed would catch wind that Mustang had told anyone, even Havoc (maybe not Hughes since that guy somehow just _knows_ much like his intelligence savvy counterpart in Amestris) Mustang would be defamed greatly by Ed posting rather undignified (read: frilly pink apron) pictures in the University website and Mustang knew that Ed was much more adept at the whole programming thing than he was and would never be able to take it down without Ed taking it down for him. The whole situation was mild but Mustang knew the weight of the secret. Ed just knew that Mustang was already reconsidering the whole political career that he had forgone just so that he would be able to interact with the magic world as a whole.

His trunk was filled to the brim with as much books as he could fit into it without scrambling its contents and taking clear advantage of the wizardspace that Ed could only explain as folding the fabric of reality so that he would be able to store more than what said space was already holding. It was actually quite a lot if Ed said so himself. The person selling trunks in Diagon Alley had been kind enough to teach him the spells but was the one to cast it first as the whole magic restriction thing had him unable to wield his wand. Tapping the trunks with your wand—as he had learned—wasn’t considered big enough to get the attention of the authorities that dealt with Underage magic

Trekking through the roads (he hadn’t wanted to take a cab as it would be good exercise) Ed wondered what he would do with his time in the summer. The classes he had taught apparently became Seasonal—meaning only offered in a specific time of the year—as he had his own studies to worry about. Being a full time professor seemed nice and all but Ed knew that there was more to Magic than what was offered in Hogwarts and he couldn’t wait to be old enough and qualified enough to be able to access the more obscure texts that undoubtedly existed.

Maybe he could visit Sacha before going back to the University dorms. Eh. Nah. She was probably busy at this time of day. It was lunchtime after all and he didn’t want to intrude and eat more than the orphanage could afford. Speakking of money, Ed thought that it was about time that he leave another gold bar or gold coins in the orphanage for them to be able to eat properly. He remembered how happy Sacha had been at the donations so Ed would do everything he could to help.

The University dorms were already in sight and Ed could only wonder why there were a crowd of people by the gates. But he shrugged. Eh. What students and the other teachers did in their free time was none of his business and really needed to get back to his reading. There was still a lot he hadn’t covered and he still needed to relearn Chinese because apparently, Xingese had a lot of differences with the far eastern language. Approaching the gates with not a care in the world, Ed was suddenly the subject of at least a hundred pairs of eyes and Ed could only raise a brow.

“WELCOME BACK, PROFESSOR ELRIC!” They said in unison and Ed’s face met his palm.

“What the hell are you doing here, you _idiots_?” Ed said in a raised voice.

“We thought it would be nice if we welcomed you back, Professor!” One of his most active student grinned.

“You were gone for a whole year!”

“We actually missed you and your terribly exciting lectures.”

Ed sighed. “I get that and all. Where did you here about my return from? I’m sure that I never specified what date I was going to come back.”

“Professor Havoc told us!”

“Ah. So this was the surprise he was talking about.” Ed muttered. “I’ll be teaching summer courses so don’t even think that you’re getting out of this scot-free.”

“We never expected to!”

Ed was assaulted with a lot of hugs and hair ruffling that he almost screamed in frustration. He had a book to read damn it! But he did miss his student so he stayed with them for at most two hours before he separated and waved them goodbyes. He pointedly ignored the warmth in his chest that he felt when they had greeted him a welcome back. Ed didn’t think he had a home in this school but apparently these teens and young adults thought otherwise.

==0==0==0==0==

The whole summer consisted of him teaching lectures, terrorizing his student assistants, terrorizing his students, grading papers and reading books. Marking exams were easy enough as that was what the assistants were for but the essays he assigned were something that he needed to read himself if he wanted to know how well the students understood that lessons that he was imparting to them. There were several new uppity firsties that he had had to put in their places but all in all his summer was brilliant.

He visited Harry a couple of times and was surprised that he hadn’t been receiving any letters. Ed himself had sent a letter or two to Harry but thought that the Dursleys had just been preventing Hedwig from flying off or something but apparently some barmy house-elf warned Harry about something and was greatly convinced that having Harry go back to Hogwarts for his second year was suicide. Ed thought that it was a load of bull. So he told the house-elf to go away or free him—he had heard several of the Slytherins bragging about threatening the house-elves with freedom and that they nearly piss themselves so that they could get back to their master’s good graces and Ed thought that this was the perfect time to test the truth of that statement. And he was rewarded with Dobby—the house-elf apparently—looking absolutely horrified and profuse apologies streaming out of him in equal amounts with self-depreciating comments and punishments that he carried out himself. Ed thought that the begging was a little hilarious but Harry, the bleeding heart that he was, had decided to calm the elf with promises of non-freedom. Harry didn’t really look like he understood the whole point of freeing house-elves but Edward had explained to him succinctly that house elves liked chores and that bonding themselves to a family of wizards was the same as granting them their paradise as they loved serving and such. Which Ed thought was absolutely mad like the whole Wizarding World in general.

Thankfully, Harry had been outside when Dobby had decided to appear spontaneously and not somewhere where the Dursleys could see. Edward could only imagine what kind of ugly things that those walruses would do to Harry.

It had been two months already and Ed could feel the summer already ending. The summer finals was already in progress and the stress of the barmy house elf coupled with his research (which Mustang had helpfully assisted him with) and the whole examination rush that he had to do. He’d already received his Hogwart’s letter again and sent the reply letter. He’d need to go buy the supplies right after he finished grading and encoding the exam papers to be submitted to the College Secretaries. Gah. He shouldn’t have taken up the offer of teaching again! Even if he was only going to teach in the summer. He badly needed a vacation but knew that when he arrived at Hogwarts, all he had to do was nothing. Just the boring classwork that he could probably do in his sleep due to his excessive reading habits. The first few weeks would probably be a good reprieve from waking up at seven everyday to talk his voice hoarse just to get his point across the several slow people in his classes. It was infuriating, really, that such a high standard University was housing students so slow.

“You know, you standards are just ridiculously high. Those students are brilliant you know.” Mustang had said dryly.

But that was _his point._ Where was the challenge? He wanted to prompt his students to be the best in their respective fields! Maybe he’d just teach an appreciation course next summer. The University certainly has nothing to complain about, they had another teacher to offer courses and if they refused to let him teach an appreciation course then they can kiss his sorry ass goodbye. He’d much rather spend his whole summer in Diagon Alley’s bookstore than watching students flounder in Chemistry labs. He’d certainly have enough money to spend his seven years not working. The whole superconductor thing had been bought by the government and was already being used in a lot of power plants and even several weaponry. It had been a large price as Ed knew just how much money he would be able to spare the government if they managed to use his newly created materials. Because it really just wasn’t the superconductor that he had submitted. It was also anti-bacterial ceramics and several plans to dispose of wastes, both radioactive and non-biodegradable. Edward also aided one of the best microbiologists that managed to breed a super-eating bacteria that would devour anything that was larger than itself. It had a great tolerance to radiation and could probably withstand a thousand times the amount that would kill a normal human being.

Anyway, enough about the techy things.

After the whole after-examinations rush and filing, Ed finally had time to himself—disregarding the weekends because weekends for professors just really wasn’t vacation—so he took this opportunity to go to Diagon Alley for his school supplies. He also visited Harry again, the House elf was still being persistent and Ed had to shoo him away somehow, and they went to the Alley for their shopping. There was apparently a book signing by the new Defense teacher and Ed had skimmed the books—novels, really—and declared the whole series as false non-fiction pretending to be fiction that it wasn’t even really funny anymore. Ed decided that the whole thing was fake and not without voicing it rather loudly. Lockhart had taken offense to that and Ed prepared himself for several months of dealing with another incompetent professor. Ed really didn’t understand how the whole system worked but apparently, some professor that had been rejected had placed a rather Dark curse that wouldn’t let a Defense Professor stay more than a year or so. And if they did come back a second year, they would most probably be too traumatized to even think about teaching ever again—well, according to the Twins. Ed knew that they were a pretty reliable source of information but they also had their flaws, but Ed believed most of the nonsense they spout if only because several people vouched for the truth of the matter. Ed really didn’t see Jordan Lee as the trolling type, even if he managed to stay in the Twins’ prolonged presences.

Later, in another world, they would catch Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy squabbling near the bookshop. Lucius Malfoy would slip the Diary in the confusion and Ginny Weasley would open the Chamber of Secrets due to Tom Riddle’s soul nearly devouring hers.

However, in this world, Lucius Malfoy had _dropped_ the Diary before it could have made it into the Ginny Weasley’s Cauldron and was picked up by a curious Ed. Noticing that the leatherbound book was empty, he took it and decided that it would make a good research journal to add in his other piles of research journals. Ed felt that the journal had some kind of secret to it and he could feel a faint amount of soul energy—the energy that a Philosopher’s Stone was made of (not the Sorceror’s Stone, which was apparently just a really very very advanced potion made via the native alchemy of this world. No lives were taken in the making of the Stone and all that as Dumbledore had assured him)—ambient in the Diary and it made Ed even more curious. How did soul energy manage to embed itself into an inorganic object? As far as Ed knew, soul energy wasn’t something that could be kept anchored in the world unless some sacrifice had been made so that it can stay, usually in the form of a red stone in Amestris but there was also a foreboding feeling coming from the diary that Ed absolutely felt was _familiar_ for some reason.

He’d written down one of his theories, calculations, really about Mundane science and the whole shebang about his most recent research that had nothing to do with magic when the writing he hadn’t even finished yet suddenly bled into non-existence and was replaced with a looping and elegant writing that said:

It was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.

 _What so fascinating about math?_ Ed wrote in his slightly geometric handwriting, easily deducing that there was probably some sort of entity that was housed by the soul energy that would be able to be talked to while the writer wrote. It should have alarmed him that there was a sentient journal lying around somewhere but Ed knew himself that the energy couldn’t hurt anyone so long as he was careful. It looked like the whole purpose of the journal was for someone to find it and spill all their secrets while talking to the sentient entity while the entity turned the soul of the writer into dust all thee while trying to take over the body, but too bad for the Diary that Ed knew how to manage his soul enough for the whole setup to be nulled and stay unaffected.

 _I hadn’t known that Muggle math had become that advanced through the years._ There was a slightly curious feeling to the words and Ed could only grin.

 _It has been quite advance for quite a while now. Almost a few hundred years now._ Ed replied.

_Is that so… Well, it was quite rude of me to talk without introducing myself first. My name is Tom Marvolo Riddle and it seems that I have been stuck in this Diary for quite a while._

_I’m Edward Elric. Twelve years old and going to Hogwarts for my second year now._ Ed wrote. He’d always been tamer in his wording when writing down letters than when talking as the whole writing reports thing had trained out of him the verbal ticks that usually made their way into reports and letting it stay entirely clinical while having an amount of underlying compassion that Ed was pretty sure was fake when it came from him.

_Hogwarts?_

_Yep. Hogwarts._

_What house were you Sorted in? I myself was sorted into the Slytherin House._

_Gryffindor._ Ed shrugged. _It couldn’t decide where to put me but said that I was much too tactless to be in Ravenclaw even if I could devour text like candy. That, and I threatened to turn it into a pink and frilly piece of clothing if it took longer than it already had._

_Interesting. Can you tell me more about the equations that you had written down? It has made me quite curious and being stuck in a book makes for a very dull existence._

Edward hummed, feeling the book grasping at his soul energy. It was minute and would probably take at least a year of continuous use if Ed didn’t know how to cut it off. He should probably try to destroy the thing but felt that the book was actually quite a good conversationalist.

_Well, that’s just really quantum physics. It’s the—_

Ed couldn’t really remember the whole conversation as he had gone on his tirade that he usually reserved for teaching, the cilinical coldness seeping out of his writing (he was careful with the soul energy and so long as he was the only one who wrote in the thing, nobody would probably be harmed anyway). Tom was actually quite smart and probably more brilliant than half his students combined. He absorbed the topics _fast_ and when comparing this ones progress to the other people that Ed taught was like comparing a wind chime to a cannon. Severely out of the other’s leagues.

Ed slept after that, making sure to seal the book into an alchemically altered box so as to prevent _something_ from leaking out without the aid of magic. Tom was probably unaware of everything when it had the covers closed but he should be at least partially safe. Truth wouldn’t stand for his soul to be devoured after all that effort to send him here to fix something. Whatever that was. Or was it to prevent something? Ed couldn’t really remember what they’d talked about since he’d never had perfect recall but instead an intuitive grasp of any theory that he could get his hand on.

Maybe things would be so bad after all.


	10. Chapter 10

==0==0==0==

**Interlude: Discussions**

==0==0==0==

Ed’s new penpal had a rather… unique view of the world.

Tom had been quite vocal about his hatred of muggles and their close-mindedness and the sheer amount of destruction that they could create. Ed was of the idea that Tom was _afraid_ and he didn’t even think of not voicing it out—if he had a problem with someone, he was going to tell it to their faces rather than making his dislike simmer in low heat _._ Tom hadn’t taken the insinuation well and had clammed up tighter than the Pentagon. The boy—which he most definitely was even if he was more mature than any of the other adult wizards that Ed had encountered—probably wouldn’t have told Ed of it had Ed not informed him that he was quite aware of the purpose of the Diary thank you very much and had received a whole week of silence from the Diary afterwards. It was really sad though that the most intelligent conversation that he could hold that wasn’t with Mustang was in written form and with someone who isn’t really entirely alive.

Ed had brought the Diary with him to Hogwarts if only because he really liked conversation with the boy. There was wit there when they had bantered and Ed could read the veiled insults as well as he could throw them back.

Ed hadn’t told Harry about the whole book thing since he didn’t really think it was important and all and he had more problems laying about, namely the fraudulent Lockhart who had decided that he was going to convert the whole Hogwarts into his very own fanbase which Ed could already see happening if Hermione’s fawning over the blonde biscuit was anything to go by.

He’d been quite incensed that some of his calculations were absorbed by the diary, but upon asking for the words back, it suddenly imprinted itself outwards, in Tom’s handwriting nonetheless and Ed was hard pressed not to be impressed. Those were pretty advanced physics calculations, probably on the level of aerospace dynamics if it were about that. It just went to show that Tom’s capacity of learning was almost a match for Ed’s. Almost.

_Why do you hate the Mundanes so much? I mean, they’ve made brilliant progress on the whole Human Rights thing and they probably wouldn’t wage war if the public had any say in it. The golden rule or whatever._

The page stayed blank for almost a minute and Ed was about to sigh in defeat and leave the Diary for something more productive. (He couldn’t help it. The last time he enjoyed talking this much with someone was _Al_ and we all know how that ended.)

Then finally, the elegant writing came.

_It was war when I was alive. I saw how much damage they could do. I didn’t like that._

_Even magic could do those things._

_They outnumber us almost a million to one._ The statement was a fact. Not even an exaggeration if Ed could read it right and he was pretty sure that he did. _They could wipe us out in hours if we don’t do something._

_Aaand you just decided to go on a mass murdering spree, is that it?_

_What gave it away?_

_I’m not stupid._ Ed began. _I can see, you know, how much Dark energy is pouring out of this Diary. It gave off the exact same feeling that the turban-head-creepy-double-headed-snake-guy gave off, though this one is much tamer than that one. I admit though I’m a little stuck on how you actually managed to bind yourself to something inanimate. Even the portraits have some sort of special wood and paint that lets the paintings be anchored, but differently from this._

_I have to admit I underestimated you quite a bit._

_So what does this mean? Your soul is a half. I don’t quite understand the concept, but it seems like unlike your mad psychopathic self who’s probably running around like a puppy who suddenly lost its master,_ you _actually have_ **reason**.

 _Souls are fickle._ Ed could feel the wryness dripping from the words. _It seems that in my haste to become immortal, my other half left behind reason and decided to split himself again, I know not how many times._

_Any guesses?_

_Three or seven. I’d wager on the latter since that number is said to be the most powerful._

_Seven times?_ Ed gaped. _You **split**_ _your soul, didn’t you? Then what the hell? You mean there’s a 0.8%-ish of a soul out there? Fuck that’s disgusting. No wonder Moldywarts went insane and killed everyone._

_I cannot claim to know what was going through my other… 0.8% of a soul if he ever reached that point._

_SO it’s not 0.8%? I mean how can you even function on that small amount of soul energy? I mean, the whole concept of splitting your soul was so that you could anchor yourself so that you wouldn’t be able to pass on to whatever next plane exists in this world, right? So what is the whole point of being immortal if the majority of it is spent doing something that would probably destroy this world that you love?_

_I do not **love**_ anything! _I_ cannot _**love**_ anything. _I was born through the means of a love potion and it has dulled my sense of morality. I do not think that would be remediable by any means that is present today._

_Then I have a question for you._

_Ask away. I do not have anything much more worthwhile to do._

_Would you like to be whole again? You don’t have to answer just yet. I’m only asking by the way, not finding ways to do it yet. I have to see whether you actually managed to do some good when you were sane to half-sane._

_I did not think otherwise._

_Okay, so last question, what year were you born in?_

==0==0==0==0==

“Mustang, I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it now?” Mustang asked huffily as he sipped from his cup of coffee. He was still clearly half-asleep. “As you can see, I’m enjoying my morning routine and I would like not to be disturbed by anyone who doesn’t have any curves.”

Ed grinned. “Oh, no I think you’ll like this one.”

“Hm?”

“Would you like to go to Diagon Alley with me?”

Mustang’s eyes widened a fraction for the briefest period of time (it was so fucking creepy how good he was at that when he didn’t have any formal training). “What’s the catch?”

“I need your help with some court records.”

“Isn’t Hughes supposed to be the go-to person for these kinds of connections? Why the sudden request though?”

“I’m not asking for court records like _that._ I mean Wizengamot, you know, the whole wizard court thing.”

“They have a court?” Mustang frowned. “I mean of course they do. They’re a secret society. They _would_ have a court. What do you need my help with?”

“I went to the Ministry last week after a conversation someoneand let me tell you, their laws are _gritty_ and _medieval,_ and the whole thing is based on _herd mentality._ How utterly _stupid_ is that? I mean, I know that all governments are corrupt but this one?”

Mustang grimaced. “That bad? How come you went to me instead of someone from that part of the world?”

“Are you serious?” Ed almost did a double take. “They’re all _barmy._ They have absolutely no idea of what chaos in good order is. I can’t trust any of them for this.”

“And you expect me to be able to do something? I mean, if any of your letters are true, then that means that no one that doesn’t have magic doesn’t even have the slightest chance of changing their minds.”

“Don’t worry. Let _me_ deal with that.” Ed said blithely and continuing on. “There’s someone that would like to make changes, good changes (well, at least I agree with them) to the system that’s currently in place and they’re good enough at planning to get what they want—”

“Why are you doing this, though? You don’t care at all about what happens to the world in general, so why now?”

Ed smirked. “Really? Well, this looks like so much fun on my side. I mean knocking down high and mighty old geezers from their pedestals? Fun. Making a whole society sing you praises and worship the ground you work on—”

“Really?”

“Nah.” Ed shrugged. “This place is making me want to up and travel but kids my age aren’t exactly inconspicuous when they decide to travel the world, so messing with people it is. For now.”

“I’m such a good role model. Hughes would have a fit.” Mustang’s lips tilted upwards with something that resembled a grin. “So you want me to do something on this end? I have a lot of time though. I don’t doubt that I’ll run for some position when I get tired of teaching, but I’m still just twenty-one. I’d like a bit of peace and quiet before diving headfirst to that pack of sharks.”

Ed noted that they were at least the same age, mentally even if _his_ were dog years since he doubted that this Mustang had actually been through _actual_ war.

“Three years.” Mustang promised.

“I didn’t think you’d set a limit for yourself.” Ed commented.

“I can see you stirring trouble in the horizon. It would be greatly frustrating if I’m not in a position to change the outcome of things even the slightest bit.”

“So, campaign?”

Mustang hummed. “I’ll be drafting plans.”

“Good luck.” _Fuhrer._


End file.
